|
Log in
Donate To Depression Forums
Latest Forum Discussions
on: Friday, 04 July 2008 01:41
on: Friday, 04 July 2008 00:17
on: Thursday, 03 July 2008 22:42
on: Thursday, 03 July 2008 22:20
on: Thursday, 03 July 2008 21:13
Search
Member Testimonials
"...Welcome to the DF forums, where everyone is more supportive than a sports bra. Its made a big difference to me. I hope its the same for you."
(-Ekavlije)
HOPELINE 1-800-SUICIDE
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.
Our DF Members
|
|
Mental Health Parity
Every year, about 54 million Americans suffer from clearly diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorders.
1
About 26.2 percent of the population are afflicted with mental illness or substance abuse disorders.
2 Approximately 14.8 million Americans suffer from depression and 2.4 million suffer from schizophrenic disorders. More than 23 million people aged 12 or older needed treatment for alcohol or illicit drug use in 2004—but only 2.3 million received it. Among the remaining 21.1 million, cost and insurance barriers were cited as the primary obstacle to treatment.
3 About 12 million children suffer from mental disorders such as autism, depression and hyperactivity.
4
Individuals with mental or substance abuse disorders face discrimination from health insurers.
Insurers increase patients’ costs for mental health treatment in three ways—by limiting inpatient days, capping outpatient visits, and requiring higher copayments than for physical illnesses. Over 90 percent of workers with employer-sponsored health insurance are enrolled in plans that impose higher costs in at least one of these ways. Forty-eight percent are enrolled in plans that impose all three limitations.
5
Health insurance discrimination exacerbates the stigma that discourages people from seeking treatment for mental and substance abuse disorders.
Many Americans fail to treat mental and substance abuse disorders—not just because of the cost, but because of the social stigma surrounding mental illness. Insurers that discriminate against individuals with mental illness reinforce that stigma, feeding a vicious cycle of depression and isolation.
Untreated mental disorders cost America billions of dollars.
Mental disorders cost America billion in direct treatment costs.
6
and 3 billion a year in ancillary costs—such as lost employment, reduced productivity, criminal justice, traffic accidents and social welfare programs like Medicaid and SCHIP—associated with mental disorders.
7
Depression alone costs the U.S. billion annually.
8
The benefits of mental health parity far outweigh the costs.
North Carolina experienced a 70 percent reduction in mental illness hospital days for state employees and their dependents—the only group eligible for parity under the state’s law. Oregon’s comprehensive parity law resulted in a mere 0.5 percent increase in premium costs. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont’s cost increased by just four percent after the state’s comprehensive parity law was enacted in 1997—and substance abuse coverage accounted for only 2.47 percent of overall costs.
9
Congress enacted a law that prevents some types of discrimination against individuals with mental illnesses.
In September 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Mental Health Parity Act. The law requires that companies that employ more than 50 people and that provide some mental health insurance benefits cannot impose lower annual or lifetime dollar limits on mental health benefits than on physical health benefits. Companies, however, are not required to offer mental health benefits, nor are they prohibited from offering mental health patients fewer services and higher out-of-pocket costs.
States have taken the lead to address mental health parity.
Thirty-six states have enacted some type of mental health parity law. Five state laws (CT, MD, MN, OR, VT) apply to all mental health and substance abuse disorders under private insurance plans. Six other states (IN, KY, ME, NM, RI, WA) have slightly less comprehensive laws that contain specific exemptions or limitations. Twenty-five states (AZ, AR, CA, CO, DE, HI, IA, IL, LA, MA, MO, MT, NE, NH, NV, NJ, NC, OK, SC, SD, TX, TN, UT, VA, WV) have laws that apply only to select groups, such as those with severe mental illnesses or government employees, or only prohibit certain forms of discrimination.
Americans strongly support mental health parity.
Eighty-three percent of Americans believe it is unfair for health insurance companies to limit mental health benefits and require people to pay more out-of-pocket for mental health care than for other medical care, according to an Opinion Research poll commissioned by the National Mental Health Association. Seventy-nine percent say they support mental health parity legislation even if it results in an increase in their health insurance premiums.10
SOURCE:-
1. National Mental Health Association, “Mental Illness in the Family,” 2005.
2. National Institutes of Mental Health, “The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America,” 2006.
3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Office of Applied Studies, “National Survey on Drug Use and Health,” September 2005.
4. Colleen Barry et al., “Design of Mental Health Benefits: Still Unequal After All These Years,” Health Affairs, September/October 2003.
5. Ibid.
6. U.S. Office of the Surgeon General, “Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General,” 1997.
7. University of Maryland School of Medicine, “Facts about Mental Disorders,” 2003.
8. Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, “The State of Depression in America,” February 2006.
9. Ellen Perlman, “Piecemeal Parity,” Governing Magazine, February 2006.
10. Opinion Research Corporation, September 2002.
2006 by the Center for Policy Alternatives
|
|
 |
|
 |
Comments 
|
This Month In Pictures
Members Online
Medical News
Andertoon
A Potpourri of Mental Health Articles
Mental Health Parity News
Suicide Prevention Llifeline
Amazon Books
Our Soldiers & Veterans
edclogo
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
Link To Us
Please use the image below and the code provided to link back to us 
|
Depression-Free, Naturally
The Food-Mood Solution
Anxiety & Depression Workbook For Du...
Feeling Good
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Workboo...
The Bipolar Advantage
