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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
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Depression More Often Chronic And Disabling Among Blacks
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Depression More Often Chronic And Disabling Among Blacks
Rates of major depression are higher among whites, but the condition
appears more likely to be severe, untreated and disabling among
blacks, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of
General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Major depression is the fourth leading cause of disability
worldwide, according to background information in the article. The
relationship between race and depression is complex; although
studies have suggested that blacks have a lower rate of depression,
they may have reduced access to mental health services and often
receive poorer quality care.
David R. Williams, Ph.D., Harvard School of Public Health, Boston,
and colleagues assessed the prevalence, persistence, treatment and
disability of depression in three racial groups using data from a
national survey conducted between 2001 and 2003. Of the 6,082
individuals who took the survey, 891 were non-Hispanic whites; 1,621
were Caribbean blacks, who identify themselves as black and are of
West Indian or Caribbean descent; and 3,570 were African-Americans,
who identify as black but do not have ancestral ties to the
Caribbean. During face-to-face and telephone interviews,
participants answered questions about their sociodemographic
background and the symptoms associated with depression. Those whose
interviews indicated depression were also asked how severe their
symptoms were and how much their condition impaired their daily
lives.
More whites (17.9 percent) than African Americans (10.4 percent) or
Caribbean blacks (12.9 percent) had depression during their
lifetimes. The rates of depression in the 12 months before the
interview were similar between the three groups (5.9 percent for
African Americans, 7.2 percent for Caribbean blacks and 6.9 percent
for whites). Chronicity - meaning the percentage of those with
lifetime depression who reported depression in the previous 12
months - was higher among African Americans (56.5 percent) and
Caribbean blacks (56 percent) than whites (38.6 percent).
"Fewer than half of the African Americans (45 percent) and fewer
than a quarter (24.3 percent) of the Caribbean blacks who met the
criteria received any form of major depressive
disorder therapy," the authors write. Although treatment rates for
whites were not measured in this survey, this compares with a
national average of 57 percent of adults with major depression who
receive treatment. "In addition, relative to whites, both black
groups were more likely to rate their major depressive disorder as
severe or very severe and more disabling."
Studying why blacks are less likely to develop depression and why
they fare worse once they become depressed could offer valuable
insights into the workings of this condition. "Future research
should explore the extent to which social support systems, including
religious participation and psychological resources, such as high
levels of self-esteem, can provide some protection to the black
population from exposure to adverse social conditions," the authors
continue. "The findings of this study highlight the importance of
identifying high-risk subgroups in racial populations and the
continuing need to target cost-effective interventions to them."
###
The National Survey of American Life is supported by a grant from
the National Institute of Mental Health, with supplemental support
from the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research at the
National Institutes of Health and the University of Michigan. Please
see the article for additional information, including other authors,
author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures,
funding and support, etc.
Source: JAMA and Archives Journals, March 5, 2007
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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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