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on: Friday, 04 July 2008 01:41
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Depression Forums has helped me so much. Not only does it help to talk to people experiancing similar things, but many of the members also help because they have a lot of knowledge that helpes depression. This site has been so great for me. When I have felt alone, it has shown me I have friends and people who care about 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.

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Common Drug May Ease Some PTSD Symptoms

By kstours

SEATTLE, WA -- April 12, 2007 -- A generic drug already used by millions of Americans for high blood pressure and prostate problems has been found to improve sleep and lessen trauma nightmares in veterans with PTSD. "This is the first drug that has been demonstrated effective for PTSD nightmares and sleep disruption," said Murray A. Raskind, MD, executive director of the mental health service at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System and lead author of a study appearing April 15 in Biological Psychiatry.

The randomized trial of 40 veterans compared a nightly dose of prazosin with placebo over eight weeks. Participants continued to take other prescribed medications over the course of the trial. At the end of the study, veterans randomized to prazosin reported significantly improved sleep quality, reduced trauma nightmares, a better overall sense of well being, and an improved ability to function.

"These nighttime symptoms are heavily troublesome to veterans," said Raskind, who also is director of VA's VISN 20 (Veterans Integrated Service Network #20) Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers program (MIRECC). "If you get the nighttime symptoms under control, veterans feel better all around."

Raskind, also a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington, estimates that of the 10 million U.S. veterans and civilians with PTSD, about half have trauma-related nightmares that could be helped with the drug. Participants were given 1 mg of prazosin per day for the first three days. The dose was gradually increased over the first four weeks to a maximum of 15 mg at bedtime. The average dose of prazosin in the trial was 13.3 mg. By comparison, typical prazosin doses for controlling blood pressure or treating prostate problems range from 3 mg to 30 mg per day in divided doses.

The drug did not affect blood pressure compared to placebo, though some participants reported transient dizziness when standing from a sitting position during the first weeks of prazosin titration. Other occasional side effects included nasal congestion, headache, and dry mouth, but these were all minor, according to the authors.

"This drug has been taken by many people for decades," said Raskind. "If there were serious long-term adverse side effects, it is likely we would know about them by now." The relatively small size of the study was due to the easy availability of this generic drug, Raskind said. "If you are doing a study with a new drug, the only way people can get it is to be in the study. With prazosin, we have approximately 5,000 veterans with a PTSD diagnosis taking it already in the Northwest alone. So we had to find veterans with PTSD who were not ."

For treating PTSD, prazosin costs 10 to 30 cents a day at VA contract prices. It is not a sedating sleeping pill, emphasized Raskind. "It does not induce sleep. But once you are asleep, you sleep longer and better." And better sleep can make a big difference. "This drug changes lives," Raskind said. "Nothing else works like prazosin."

Trauma nightmares appear to arise during light sleep or disruption in REM sleep, whereas normal dreams—both pleasant and unpleasant— occur during normal REM sleep. Prazosin works by blocking the brain's response to the adrenaline-like neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Blocking norepinephrine normalizes and increases REM sleep.

In this study, veterans taking prazosin reported that they resumed normal dreaming. One dose of prazosin works for 6 to 8 hours. Unlike similar drugs, prazosin does not induce tolerance; people can take it for years without increasing the dose. But when veterans stop taking it, Raskind said, the trauma nightmares usually return.

Aside from the VA-funded study he just published, Raskind is working on three larger studies of prazosin. One, a VA cooperative study slated to start this month, will enroll about 300 veterans at 12 VA facilities. The second, a collaborative study with Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Madigan Army Medical Center, will enroll active-duty soldiers who have trauma nightmares. The third study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, will look at prazosin in the treatment of civilian trauma PTSD.

Copyright © 2007 PSL Consulting Group Inc.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs






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Medical News
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Latest Depression News From Medical News Today.

Depression Ups Risk Of Complications Following Heart Attack
People who suffer from severe depression following a heart attack might be more likely to experience cardiac complications while hospitalized, according to a new study. "There is good evidence that if a person has depression after a heart attack, they are more likely to die from cardiac causes in the following months and years," said lead author Jeff Huffman, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

St. Jude Medical Announces First Patient Implants In Clinical Study Evaluating Deep Brain Stimulation For Depression
St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced the first patient implants in a clinical study that is investigating whether deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy will help people who suffer from major depressive disorder, a severe form of depression. The patients, a 59-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man, were implanted at Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital in Chicago, with the St. Jude Medical Libra® Deep Brain Stimulation System, an investigational device.




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CONCERTA® Now Available For Patients With ADHD Ages 6 To 65 In USA
ADHD is the most common emotional, cognitive and behavioral disorder treated in children1, and according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), between 30 percent and 70 percent of children with ADHD continue to exhibit symptoms in the adult years 2.

NIMH Funds Pitt Researchers To Find Best Treatments For Children With Autism And ADHD Symptoms
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC have received $3 million from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct a national study of the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with autism spectrum disorders.




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Yoga And Meditation Change Gene Response To Stress
Research from the US suggests that mind body techniques like yoga and meditation that put the body in a state of deep rest known as the relaxation response, are capable of changing how genes behave in response to stress.

Gene/Stress Interaction Increases Cognitive Decline In Elderly
The negative effects of stress on cognitive functioning appear to be amplified by a genetic variation associated with Alzheimer's disease, a new federally funded study has found. The genetic variation may, in effect, accelerate the development of age-related cognitive decline by as much as eight years.




Bipolar News From Medical News Today
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Repligen Announces Plans To Initiate A Phase 2b Trial For RG2417 In Bipolar Disorder
Repligen Corporation (Nasdaq: RGEN) announced that based on feedback from the Food and Drug Administration, the Company plans to initiate a Phase 2b clinical trial of RG2417, an oral formulation of uridine, in patients with bipolar disorder later this year. This will be a multi-center, parallel arm placebo-controlled, clinical trial in which approximately 150 patients with bipolar disorder will receive either RG2417 or a placebo twice a day for eight-weeks.

Antidepressants Alone: Not For Bipolar Depression
Psychiatrists have cautioned against the use of antidepressants alone in people with bipolar disorders, saying they could worsen a patient's condition by causing a destabilisation in mood.




Mental Health News From Medical News Today
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North Carolina Mental Health Parity Law Takes Effect
North Carolina health care insurers must provide the same amount of coverage for certain mental conditions as they do for physical ailments under a state law that took effect on Tuesday, the Winston-Salem Journal reports.

People Caught Up In Terrorist Attacks More Resilient Than Previously Thought
People caught up in terrorist attacks or natural disasters are more resilient, both as individuals and in groups, than previously thought. Far from being passive "victims" they can be highly organised survivors, so much so that they should be involved in drafting mental health guidelines to deal with major disasters.




Psychology / Psychiatry News From Medical News Today
Latest Psychology / Psychiatry News From Medical News Today.

People Caught Up In Terrorist Attacks More Resilient Than Previously Thought
People caught up in terrorist attacks or natural disasters are more resilient, both as individuals and in groups, than previously thought. Far from being passive "victims" they can be highly organised survivors, so much so that they should be involved in drafting mental health guidelines to deal with major disasters.

People Who Smoke Skunk Are 18 Times More Likely To Develop Psychosis
People who smoke skunk, the extra strong cannabis grown in hothouse conditions, are 18 times more likely to develop psychosis that those who take the milder forms such as hash (cannabis resin), a new study has found. The study, which was carried out at the Institute of Psychiatry and presented this week to delegates at the Annual Meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, looked at the links between cannabis use of psychosis.




Schizophrenia News From Medical News Today
Latest Schizophrenia News From Medical News Today.

FDA Approves First Generic Risperidone To Treat Psychiatric Conditions
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic versions of Risperdal (risperidone) tablets. Risperdal is an antipsychotic drug used for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric conditions.

NARSAD Appoints Lou Innamorato As Acting President
NARSAD's Board of Directors announced that its President and Chief Executive Officer Geoff Birkett has resigned to pursue other opportunities. During Mr. Birkett's tenure, he ran the organization with a new energy and focus. The Chief Financial Officer, Lou Innamorato, will serve as Acting President as the Board begins the search for a new President and Chief Executive Officer. NARSAD is the world's leading charity dedicated to mental health research.




Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia News From Medical News Today
Latest Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia News From Medical News Today.

Difficulty Sleeping Increases As Women Progress Through Menopause According To Study By Rush University Medical Center
Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep increase as women go through menopause according to research by Rush University Medical Center. Waking up earlier than planned also increases through late perimenopause but decreases when women become postmenopausal. The study is published in the July 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.

Plants And Mammals Respond To Light In Similar Way
A new report published in the open-access journal PLoS Biology examines the effect that light has on humans and animals. Most of us are familiar with how light affects the growth and development of plants (phototropism, for example, describes how plants grow towards light), but researcher Nathalie Hoang and colleagues set out to explore light's impact on humans and mammals.




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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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