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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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Fathers Can Also Experience Postpartum Depression
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Mothers are not the only parent experiencing postpartum depression. Fathers also can have difficulty adjusting emotionally in the weeks and months following the birth of a child.
A number of research studies in recent years suggest men can experience postpartum depression. One study, published in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics, found that among 5,000 American couples who recently had a baby, as many as 10 percent of the fathers had significant levels of depression.
"We need to pay better attention to dad's postpartum," said Robin Cook Kopelman, MD, UI Hospitals and Clinics psychiatrist and assistant professor in the University of Iowa Department of Psychiatry. "Paternal depression, like maternal depression, may have a negative impact on the marital relationship as well as on parenting and can lead to subsequent behavioral problems in children."
Kopelman explored postpartum depression in men in conjunction with a larger UI study about women's postpartum treatments. The study, Clinician Managed Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Postpartum Depression, is being led by UI researchers Scott Stuart, MD, UI Hospital and Clinics psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry, and Michael O'Hara, PhD, professor of psychology.
Kopelman's research indicated that a similar percentage of fathers from the UI study reported depressive symptoms after having a baby, which could correspond to an actual diagnosis of postpartum depression.
Signs of postpartum depression can include low mood, irritability, not enjoying activities one usually enjoys, feelings of worthlessness and guilt, thoughts of suicide or self-harm, and sleep difficulties not related to the infant.
If left untreated, postpartum depression may also negatively affect a child's cognitive development and ability to form strong parental attachments. In addition, Kopelman said postpartum depression is associated with impaired psychosocial functioning in the parent.
Kopelman noted that doctors are increasingly screening new mothers for postpartum depression in primary care and pediatric settings. Men also should be screened, she added.
"Post partum is a critical time for parents to get care that could improve their marriage, relationships with their children, and their ability to parent," Kopelman said. "Fathers play an extremely important role in helping with their babies, and we need to offer them more support in clinical settings. We need to create a comfortable atmosphere where fathers can talk about how they are doing psychologically and emotionally."
Kopelman added that postpartum depression should not be seen solely a maternal or paternal problem, but considered a family issue.
"People need to be aware that postpartum depression is a serious public health problem and that it is a burden for individual families," Kopelman said. "We need to create and develop public health programs and improve the accessibility of mental health services, especially for fathers."
Men typically have been excluded from concern about postpartum depression, she suggested, because people assume it is caused by hormone changes—since depression itself is more common in women—and because of women's historical role in society.
"People do not think of it as a men's issue because, historically, women have been primarily responsible for child rearing. In addition, depression is two to three times more common in women than men," Kopelman said. "Although hormones play a part in postpartum depression, they are not the entire picture."
Kopelman urges people concerned about experiencing postpartum depression to contact their community or primary health care providers.
SOURCE: University of Iowa UI Health Care News: Week of November 13, 2006
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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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