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Depression & Mental Health FAQs
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated 40 million Americans living today will suffer from major depressive illness during their lives. Seasonal affective disorder is major depression that appears in the fall or winter and goes away in spring, thought to be caused by lack of sunlight.
Postpartum depression occurs within four weeks of a women giving childbirth. Most new mothers suffer from some form of the �baby blues.� Postpartum depression, by contrast, is major depression, thought to be triggered by changes in hormonal flows associated with childbirth. Catatonic depression is a rare form of major depression characterized by (at least two): Stupor, excessive motor activity, extreme negativism, peculiarities in voluntary movement, and repetition of other people's words or actions. - mcmanweb.com
Psychotic depression is a rare form of depression characterized by delusions or hallucinations, such as believing you are someone you are not and hearing voices.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 18.8 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the US population age 18 and older in a given year, have a depressive disorder. Depression is a chronic illness that exacts a significant toll on
America's health and productivity. It affects more than 21 million
American children and adults annually and is the leading cause of
disability in the United States for individuals ages 15 to 44.
Lost productive time among U.S. workers due to depression is estimated
to be in excess of $31 billion per year. Depression frequently
co-occurs with a variety of medical illnesses such as heart disease,
cancer, and chronic pain and is associated with poorer health status
and prognosis. It is also the principal cause of the 30,000 suicides
in the U.S. each year. In 2004, suicide was the 11 th leading cause of death in the United States, third among individuals 15-24.
According to the World Health Organization, depression is presently on track to becoming the world's second-most disabling disease (after heart disease) by the year 2020. Depression is responsible for some $87 billion a year in lost productivity in the US (a conservative estimate), and according to Bank One, is responsible for most lost work days in its employees after pregnancy and childbirth. Additionally, one million people worldwide die by their own hand, most as a result of a mood disorder. Finally, the linkage between depression and a host of physical illnesses makes it arguably the world's greatest killer.
Research presented at the 56th Annual Conference of the Canadian
Psychiatric Association shows a marked link between bipolar disorder
and migraines. The odds of migraine in persons with bipolar disorder were 40% higher than the general population. Data
obtained from 36,984 people aged 15 and over, who screened positive for
manic or depressive episodes with migraine, were compared against those
who screened positive for mania but who didn�t suffer from migraines. Amongst
males, 14.9% of those with manic episodes were also diagnosed with
migraines compared with 5.8% of the general population. Amongst
females, 34.7% had both migraines and bipolar disorder compared with
14.7% who only had migraines.unquote.gif While the research was
skewed towards persons who were already diagnosed with bipolar
disorders, what does it mean for people who suffer from migraines but
who may have an undiagnosed bipolar disorder?
Migraines and headaches aren�t fully understood but the manifestations are very real and debilitating for their sufferers: Throbbing pain Nausea Heightened sensitivity to light or sound Seeing dots, wavy lines, flashing lights, or blind spots Difficulty with speech, sensation, or movement
An estimated 2.1 million
American adolescents have experienced major depression within the last
year, according to a new comprehensive government study. Researchers
surveyed more than 67,000 young people ages 12 to 17 and found that one
in 12 had suffered from serious depression in the previous year.Nearly
13 percent of girls had struggled with depression, compared to less
than 5 percent of boys. Odds of depression increased with age -- just 4
percent of 12-year-olds experienced depression but that climbed to 11
percent for older teens.
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Real Men. Real Depression.
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Real Men. Real Depression.
The facts about men and depression.
An estimated six million men in the United States have a depressive
disorder-major depression, dysthymia (chronic, less severe depression),
or bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness)-every year. Although
these illnesses are highly treatable, many men do not recognize,
acknowledge, or seek help for their depression.
While both men and women may develop the standard symptoms of
depression, they often experience depression differently and may have
different ways of coping. Men may be more willing to report fatigue,
irritability, loss of interest in work or hobbies, and sleep
disturbances rather than feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and
excessive guilt, which are commonly associated with depression in
women. Also, tragically, four times as many men as women die by
suicide, even though women make more suicide attempts during their
lives.
The truth is, depression is a real and treatable illness. It can
strike at any age, from childhood into late life. With proper diagnosis
and treatment, the vast majority of men with depression can be helped.
What makes depression different from the blues?
Depression is a serious medical condition that involves the body,
mood, and thoughts. It affects how you eat and sleep. It alters your
self-perception. It changes the way you think and feel. Men with a
depressive illness can't just "snap out of it" or "pull themselves
together," because depression isn't the same as a passing mood. Left
untreated, depression may last for weeks, months, or years at a time.
Depressive illnesses can make routine tasks unbearably difficult.
Pleasures that make life worth living-watching a football game, playing
with children, even making love-can be drained of joy. Depression
brings pain and disruption not only to the person who has it, but also
to his family and others who care about him.
If you are experiencing some of the following symptoms, you may have
a depressive illness. Ask yourself if you are feeling: sad or "empty";
irritable or angry; guilty or worthless; pessimistic or hopeless; tired
or "slowed down"; restless or agitated; like no one cares about you; or
like life is not worth living. You may also: sleep more or less than
usual; eat more or less than usual; have persistent headaches,
stomachaches or chronic pain; have trouble concentrating, remembering
things or making decisions; lose interest in work or hobbies; or lose
interest in sex.
If these symptoms are familiar, it's time to talk with your doctor.
Depression is a real, medical illness that can be successfully treated,
most often with medication, psychotherapy ("talk" therapy), or a
combination of both. Support from family and friends plays an important
role as well.
It takes courage to ask for help.
The feelings and behaviors that are part of depression can hinder a
person's ability to seek help. In addition, men in particular may find
it difficult to admit depressive symptoms and ask for help. It's
important to remember, however, that depression is a real, treatable
illness and is nothing to be ashamed about.
Thanks to years of research, a variety of effective treatments
including medications and short-term psychotherapies are available for
depressive disorders. Treatment choice will depend on the patient's
diagnosis, severity of symptoms, and preference. In general, severe
depressive illnesses, particularly those that are recurrent, will
require a combination of treatments for the best outcome.
If you are feeling depressed, tell someone about your symptoms.
Speak with a doctor, nurse, psychologist, social worker, or employee
assistance professional. Asking for help takes courage, but it can make
all the difference.
Where to get more information.
National Institute of Mental Health
Public Inquiries
6001 Executive Boulevard
Room 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
Toll-Free: 1-866-227-NIMH (6464)
TTY: 1-301-443-8431
E-mail: nimhinfo@nih.gov
Web site: http://www.nimh.nih.gov
Department of Health & Human Services
National Institutes Of Health
National Institute of Mental Health
NIH Publication No. 03-5300
Some NIMH pages link to PDF files. Download Adobe Reader to view and print PDF files.
This page last reviewed: June 5, 2008
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Depression & Mental Health FAQs 2
What is Clinical Depression? Clinical
depression can affect your body, mood, thoughts, and behavior. It can
change your eating habits, how you feel and think about things, your
ability to work and study, and how you interact with people. Clinical
depression is not a passing mood, a sign of personal weakness or a
condition that can be willed away. Clinically depressed people cannot
"pull themselves together" and get better. Depression can be
successfully treated by a mental health professional or certain health
care providers. With the right treatment, 80 percent of those who seek
help get better. And many people begin to feel better in just a few
weeks.
Depression a Big Factor in Poor Health World Health Organization Finds Depression Often Goes Untreated By Salynn Boyles WebMD Medical News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Sept.
6, 2007 -- Depression has a greater impact on overall health than
arthritis, diabetes, angina, and asthma, but it all too often goes
unrecognized and untreated, a report from the World Health Organization
(WHO) suggests. more... Depression a Big Factor in Poor Health
For Additional Information About Depression Write To: The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8184, MSC 9663 Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
For free brochures on depression and its treatment call: 1-800-421-4211. or visit: http://www.nimh.nih.gov
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