DEpression
Depression, also known as major depressive disorder, is a common mood disorder known to negatively impact the manner in which people feel, think, and act. Depression may bring about feelings of sadness, loss of interest in activities, and can lead to a variety of physical and emotional problems. Varying types of depression are prevalent and their descriptions can be seen below.
Types of Depression
Clinicians recognize the depressed mood and functional impairment evident throughout a variety of depression types affecting our society and have classified the following types based on their usual symptom profile. Click to view:
Am I susceptible to Depression?
Depression can impact anyone including women, men, children, adolescents and seniors. More commonly, depressive symptoms appear between the ages 15 and 45, however, symptoms can begin at any age. There are many factors that can blend together in order to cause depression. A more simplistic way of thinking of these factors is to divide them into biological and socio-psychological causes. An example of a biological factor could be having a strong family history of depression whereas a psychological or behavioural factor could refer to being bullied at school for a prolonged period of time. Irrespective of cause, many specialists believe when a person develops depression, they will experience abnormal changes in brain chemistry and function which lead to a perpetuation of the depressed mood.
Diagnosis
The standard for depression evaluation is through an interview with a trained doctor or other professional, or a screening assessment with a social worker, nurse or psychologist. Unfortunately, most individuals have difficulty approaching professionals and saying, “I think I am depressed.” Given this, there are proficient questionnaire scales that can be used to measure depression. Screening for depression can be complex and questionnaires are only an initial step.
The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children has been validated for adolescents aged 6 to 23 years-old. This particular scale is frequently used to assess clinically depressed individuals. Younger children may require help to complete this five minute questionnaire.
Why is diagnosis important?
Depression is a common mental disorder and it is of great importance to be diagnosed as early as possible and treated appropriately. If left untreated, it can worsen, becoming chronic or recurrent, leading to significant impairments in a person’s ability to take care of their everyday responsibilities. Depression is one of the leading contributors to global disability and burden of disease. Depression is not only distressing for the person experiencing the disorder, but often also their friends, family, and colleagues. It affects overall quality of life, social functioning, and productivity of one at work or at school, in everyday situations. Severe depression can lead to suicidal ideation and attempt.
Treatments
The vast majority of treatment for individuals with depression includes a form of psychotherapy, antidepressant medication, or both. Among the most effective psychotherapies, cognitive behavioural therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, and family therapy are commonly used treatments. Among the antidepressant medication treatments, there are different families of medications available including monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) such as Emsam, tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) such as Elavil, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac, and the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as Pristiq.
Are you unsure if you have Depression?
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