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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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BJOG Release: Psychological Abuse Leads To Poorer Mental Health In Pregnant Women
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BJOG Release: Psychological Abuse Leads To Poorer Mental Health In Pregnant Women
New research to be published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, examines how abuse from an intimate partner (defined as a current or former spouse, cohabitating or dating partner, or boyfriend) directed at a pregnant woman, results in a higher risk of postnatal depression, a tendency toward self-harm and poorer mental health related quality of life in abused women.
3245 women were recruited and surveyed across seven hospitals in Hong Kong over a one-year period between July 2005 and April 2006. All women were above 18 years old and were between 32 to 36 weeks of pregnancy. Specially-trained nurses conducted an initial face-to-face interview and a further phone interview occurred a week after the women gave birth. Privacy and confidentiality were ensured. The research team developed bespoke questionnaires based on the Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) because of the cultural differences in the interpretation of the concept of emotional and physical abuse by Chinese women.
Women participating in the survey were provided with further counselling if required and had additional support in dealing with abusive partners. Participation was voluntary and informed consent provided.
10% of the women surveyed reported receiving abuse from their intimate partners. Of those abused, 73% reported psychological abuse only and 27% reported physical and sexual abuse. Of those who were physically/sexually abused, 57.5% reported receiving psychological abuse.
The most cited forms of psychological abuse were: 'Shaming in front of friends/family', 'Put-downs regarding appearance or behaviour' and 'Ridiculing'. Researchers note that the preservation of face and maintaining harmonious relationships are valued traits in Chinese society and the common abusive patterns perpetrated by partners were to shame and ridicule women. This controlling and coercive behaviour results in the loss of self-esteem in women and increases their sense of worthlessness. Repeated over a period of time, such behaviour results in further feelings of negativity post-delivery, increasing the risk of postnatal depression and self-harm in women.
Researchers also uncovered the leading social circumstances which predispose couples to these abusive relationships, namely: being in debt, needing financial assistance, conflict with the in-laws and having an unplanned pregnancy. In particular, researchers note that the climate of fear and control surrounding abusive relationships limits the woman's ability to control her fertility, which may lead to unintended pregnancies.
Previous research has demonstrated that psychological abuse often preceeds physical abuse and these women are in danger of coming to physical harm. Such patterns of abuse also carry on in the couples' lives and the children are involved at the later stages. Researchers recommend that good screening and intervention programmes are needed to help identify, protect and support women in abuse relationships.
Dr Agnes Tiwari from the University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, who led the study, said "Pregnancy offers a window of opportunity for health professionals to help women who are abused, including those psychologically abused.
"There is a need to use a culturally sensitive tool to assess intimate partner violence in Chinese women as demonstrated in our study. Had we not clearly identified and explained psychological abuse in our screening tool, a large portion of the abuses would not have been detected.
"In our study, the women were prepared to discuss their relationship problems with our experienced research nurses who underwent extensive training in this kind of screening. This underscores the importance of using well-trained and skilled practitioners when screening Chinese pregnant women for intimate partner violence."
Professor Philip Steer, BJOG editor-in-chief said, "Unlike victims of physical violence, women who are subject to psychological or emotional abuse often bear no bodily markings of their mistreatment. This makes referrals to victim support groups and the Police difficult.
"What is worrying for doctors is the evidence that such women have a higher chance of suffering from postnatal depression after delivery, with some desperate enough to contemplate self-harm. Clearly, doctors and nurses need to identify the problem in their antenatal clinics so that preventive measures for mother and baby can be put into action as soon as possible."
Notes
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology is owned by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) but is editorially independent and published monthly by Blackwell Publishing. The journal features original, peer-reviewed, high-quality medical research in all areas of obstetrics and gynaecology worldwide. Please quote 'BJOG' or 'BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology' when referring to the journal.
Reference
Tiwari A, Chan K, Fong D, Leung W, Brownridge D, Lam H, Wong B, Lam C, Chau F, Chan A, Cheung K, Ho P. The impact of psychological abuse by an intimate partner on the mental health of pregnant women. BJOG 2008;115:377-384.
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
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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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