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on: Monday, 01 December 2008 13:10
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on: Monday, 01 December 2008 11:43
on: Monday, 01 December 2008 11:39
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QUOTE (rileyeye @ Jul 3 2008, 08:39 AM) * Thank you so much for the replies. I cannot tellyou how much it means to me!!
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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.

Advertisement

Antidepressants benefits exceed risks

By kstours
April 17, 2007

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The benefits of drugs that treat depression in children and teens far outweigh the risk of suicide, and U.S. regulators should revise strict warnings that may have scared off some doctors and patients, researchers said on Tuesday.

A wide-reaching review of studies on antidepressants in young patients showed the risk of suicidal behavior is smaller than previously thought and should be viewed in light of the relief these drugs can offer, the researchers said.

"The benefits seem to be much stronger than the risks," said Dr. David Brent, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, whose study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The research calls into question strict "black box" warnings on the labels of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that warn of a higher risk of suicidal behavior among children and teenagers.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration introduced those warnings on the most popular antidepressants in October 2004 after studies in the United States and Britain suggested the drugs may raise the risk of suicide in children and adults.

Millions of Americans use antidepressants, which include Wyeth's Effexor, Pfizer Inc.'s Zoloft, GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Paxil, Eli Lilly and Co's Prozac and Forest Laboratories Lexapro.

MORE HARM THAN GOOD?

Brent said it's now time for the FDA to revisit its policy.

"Clearly, their intent was to protect people, but you have to then reevaluate whether your warning may be doing more harm than good," Brent said in a telephone interview.

Brent noted that the number of antidepressant prescriptions written for adolescents has fallen, while suicide rates in adolescents recently have begun to rise. "That is after 10 consecutive years of a decline in the rate," he said.

He pointed to a February study in the journal Pediatrics that found deaths from suicide in 10 to 19-year-olds rose 18.2 percent in 2004 from 2003. No other causes of child death increased during that period.

"It is possible that people who would benefit from this medication are being frightened away," he said.

Physician groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association, have voiced concern that the FDA's warnings may limit access to the drugs.

For the study, Brent and colleagues reviewed data from 27 major clinical trials assessing antidepressant use in 4,400 children and adolescents with major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorders.

The analysis, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, included data from an additional 700 patients not available when the FDA issued its warning.

The study showed an increased risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts, but the size of the effect was smaller than in the FDA report. There were no completed suicides.

Brent said young people on the drugs should be monitored closely and taken off them if they derive no benefit.

He stressed that untreated depression is not without risk, adding, "The risk of no treatment can be deadly."

"The reported findings in JAMA are very consistent with FDA's analysis on these products and our recommendations/warnings to consumers who use these drugs," an FDA spokeswoman said.


Copyright © 2007 Reuters Limited.

Source: NIH MedLinePlus

Comments

Depression Forums would like to hear from you!
Depression Forums would like to hear from you!

Mental illness affects one in seventeen Americans.
We would like to invite you to share your story about your Depression, as breaking the silence will help us to break open the stigma surrounding mental health that keeps people from getting the care that continues misunderstandings about those affected by mental health disorders.

Stories with a positive outlook are most welcome.
There is nothing better than to speak out, tell your story and get the word out! 

There is hope!
Together, we can help ourselves and others.

Please PM Forum Admin for more information to submit your story.
Warm Regards,
~Lindsay and The Depression Forums Administration Staff
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IMPAX Receives Final FDA Approval For Generic Wellbutrin(R) XL 150 Mg
IMPAX Laboratories, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted final approval of the Company's Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for a generic version of Wellbutrin® XL 150 mg Extended-release Tablets on Wednesday, November 26, 2008. GlaxoSmithKline markets Wellbutrin® XL for the management of depression. IMPAX's Global Pharmaceuticals division launched the product immediately following approval.




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IMPAX Receives Final FDA Approval For Generic Wellbutrin(R) XL 150 Mg
IMPAX Laboratories, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted final approval of the Company's Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for a generic version of Wellbutrin® XL 150 mg Extended-release Tablets on Wednesday, November 26, 2008. GlaxoSmithKline markets Wellbutrin® XL for the management of depression. IMPAX's Global Pharmaceuticals division launched the product immediately following approval.




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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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