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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 11th 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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ALS drug appears to ease resistant depression.

By kstours

ALS drug appears to ease resistant depression.

From: Clinical Psychiatry News | Date: February 1, 2007 | Author: Goldman, Erik L.

NEW YORK -- Riluzole, a drug for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that targets glutamate cycling in the brain, can markedly improve depression in some patients who remain highly symptomatic despite treatment with other antidepressants, Dr. Steven F. Kendell reported at a symposium sponsored by NARSAD, the Mental Health Research Association.

Though the findings are still preliminary, they are in accord with a growing body of data indicating that the glutaminergic and GABAergic neuron systems may be as important in the etiology of depression as are the more commonly targeted serotonergic and dopaminergic systems, he said.

"Of the currently available antidepressants, almost all of them target the monoamine neurotransmitters: epinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. But despite treatment with these medications, almost half of all patients are stuck with residual symptoms, and some get very little benefit at all. There's a tremendous need to develop novel medications with novel mechanisms of action," said Dr. Kendell of the department of psychiatry at Yale University in New Haven, Conn.

The glutamate system is a very promising target. Dr. Gerard Sanacora, who heads Yale University's depression research programs, has identified clear abnormalities in both glutamate and cortical -aminobutyric acid (GABA) in depressed versus non-depressed individuals.

Roughly half of all severely depressed patients will show markedly lower levels of GABA but markedly increased levels of glutamate (Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 2004;61:705-13).

Glutamate is normally taken up either by glutaminergic neurons and turned into glutamine, or by GABAergic neurons and turned into GABA.

This process is regulated in large measure by the glial cells.

Other research teams have shown that many patients with severe depression have reduced numbers of glial cells in many parts of their brains, including the anterior cingulate cortex and the prefrontal cortex (Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 2001;58:545-53).

The result is that in some depressed patients, there is a lot of glutamate, which can be toxic at high concentrations, hanging around in the synaptic spaces. This inhibits normal presynaptic glutamate release, reduces glutamate cycling, and inhibits GABA synthesis.

"The excess glutamate feeds back presynaptically and inhibits normal release of glutamate, leading to memory problems and impairment in the ability to think clearly," Dr. Kendell said.

Riluzole is a fairly unknown medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). It is one of the few available drugs that affect glutamate cycling.

It actually increases uptake of glutamate by the glial cells, thus reducing the buildup of synaptic glutamate and normalizing GABA synthesis.

Dr. Kendell and his colleagues tested riluzole as an add-on to other antidepressant medications in a cohort of 10 severely depressed individuals.

These patients were already on an average of three antidepressants and still had Hamilton depression (HAM-D) scores of more than 25 at the start of the study, he said.

Addition of riluzole produced a significant decrease in HAM-D scores in the cohort as a whole, knocking the mean score down from a baseline of 27 to 21 at the end of 12 weeks.

Four of the 10 patients showed a particularly strong response to riluzole, with HAM-D scores dropping from a mean of 26 at baseline to 7 by the close of the 3-month study. In these cases, the response was very rapid; the HAM-D scores took a fast nosedive within the first 2 weeks of treatment.

"We know that about 50% of individuals with depression have abnormal GABA and glutamine levels compared with controls. Are the individuals who had rapid responses to riluzole the same as those who have low GABA and high glutamate? We really need to study this," Dr. Kendell said.

The next step in this line of research is to use neuroimaging techniques to compare GABA and glutamate levels before and after treatment with riluzole. Then, of course, comes the placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Dr. Kendell said that the Yale team became interested in glutamate cycling in the context of depression in response to reports that ketamine could have profound and long-lasting positive effects in some patients with severe depression.

Ketamine, which is known as "Special K" on the streets, affects GABAergic and glutaminergic neurons.

Some do not think this drug is a good candidate for routine treatment of depression, because it can also induce psychosis, he said.

This line of research also raises the question of whether over-the-counter GABA supplements can improve depression. Dr. Sanacora, who was present at the NARSAD symposium, said that so far there is no evidence to suggest that GABA, when taken orally, "can get into the brain compartments that we're interested in."

BY ERIK L. GOLDMAN

Contributing Writer

COPYRIGHT 2007 International Medical News Group

Comments

Depression Forums would like to hear from you!
Mental illness affects one in seventeen Americans. However, in this country alone, funding for mental health
facilities is dropping drastically and the care for the mentally disabled.
When the people who need those facilities have no where to go, they end up overcrowding emergency rooms.
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We would like to invite you to PM Forum Admin to share your story about your Depression or Mental Health issues as breaking the silence will help us to break open the stigma surrounding mental health that keeps people from getting the care that continues the misunderstandings about those affected by mental health disorders.
There is nothing better than to speak out, tell your story get the word out!
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Izard Nobel LLP Announces Class Action Lawsuit Against Biovail Corporation
The law firm of Izard Nobel LLP, which has significant experience representing investors in prosecuting claims of securities fraud, announces that a lawsuit seeking class action status has been filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of those who purchased Biovail Corporation ("Biovail" or the "Company") (NYSE: BVF) between December 14, 2006 and July 19, 2007, inclusive (the "Class Period").

Non-Invasive Treatment For Depression - Rush University Medical Center Psychiatrist Led Clinical Trials Of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is now an entirely new treatment option for patients suffering from depression. Dr.




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ADHD Stimulant Treatment May Decrease Risk Of Substance Abuse In Adolescent Girls
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More City High Flyers Seeking Help As Credit Crunch Bites, London, England
The Priory Group has issued a list of top ten indicators for stressed City executives which should act as warning signs that professional help should be sought. As the global economy goes into meltdown, experts at the Priory Group are coping with escalating levels of depression and related conditions amongst staff in the financial sector, also leading to a rise in people seeking treatment for drink and drug abuse.

40 Million Americans Endure Anxiety Everyday
Despite anxiety and stress being one of today's most common disorders, it is regularly under diagnosed by medical professionals. Most of us experience occasional feelings of anxiety -- muscle tension, headache, nausea, fatigue, or trembling -- before important events such as exams, public speaking, first dates, or during times of stress such as a divorce, job change or a change in residence.




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Awareness Campaign - To Dispel Myths About Mood Disorders - Mood Disorders Association Of Ontario
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Childhood Bipolar Disorder Could Extend Into Young Adulthood
Young adults who had bipolar disorder as children are likely to suffer from manic episodes, according to an article released on October 6, 2008 in Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Bipolar disorder is a severe mood disorder that involves episodes of mania and depression. There is significant debate about how pediatric bipolar disorder, which affects children, should be diagnosed.




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WHO Report Shows Mental Health Services In England Leading The Way In Europe
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American Psychiatric Association Draws Attention To Mental Illness Awareness Week 2008
Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is Oct. 5-11, and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) is raising awareness of mental health issues and the importance of eliminating the stigma surrounding them. Now in its 25th year, Mental Illness Awareness Week provides communities across the country with an opportunity to acknowledge the human and economic toll taken by mental illnesses and to celebrate new treatment advances. Most Americans know someone with a mental illness.




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Wiley-Blackwell Announces Launch Of Asia-Pacific Psychiatry
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Schizophrenia Society Of Ontario Announces October Awareness Month
"Schizophrenia is a treatable brain disease." A significant element to the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario's awareness campaign this year is the website: with information on the October Awareness Campaign itself, the Access to Treatment initiative, as well as encouraging people to give to our organization.




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New research provides support for the use of St. John's wort extracts in treating major depression. A Cochrane Systematic Review backs up previous research that showed the plant extract is effective in treating mild to moderate depressive disorders. "Overall, we found that the St.




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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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