Transcript depression
Mood Disorders
In any given 1-year period, 9.5% of the population, or about
18.8 million American adults, suffer from a depressive illness.
depression
• A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood and
thoughts.
• It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about
oneself, and the way one thinks about things.
• Nearly everyone will experience at least some type of mild depression in
their life often due to some external sad event.
• A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not
a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished
away.
• People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves
together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks,
months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most
people who suffer from depression.
symptoms of depression
Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
Loss of interest in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed
Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
Changes in appetite and weight loss or weight gain
Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts
Restlessness, irritability
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as
headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain
types of mood disorders
Major Depressive Disorder
Combination of symptoms that interfere with the
ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy
once pleasurable activities.
Such a disabling episode of depression may
occur only once but more commonly occurs
several times in a lifetime.
5 (or more) of the symptoms have been
present during the same 2-week period
Dysthmia
A less severe
type of
Depressed
mood
fordepression,
most of thedysthymia,
day, for
involves
long-term,
symptoms
more days
than not,chronic
as indicated
eitherthat
by do
not disable,account
but keeporone
from functioning
well
subjective
observation
by others,
or
feeling
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Manysevere
people than
with major
forfrom
at least
2 years.
dysthymia also
experience major depressive
depressive
disorder.
episodes at some time in their lives.
gender differences in rates of depression
Women experience depression about twice as often as
men.
Although men are less likely to suffer from depression than
women, 3 to 4 million men in the United States are affected by
the illness. Men are less likely to admit to depression, and
doctors are less likely to suspect it.
The rate of suicide in men is four times that of women,
though more women attempt it. In fact, after age 70, the rate of
men's suicide rises, reaching a peak after age 85.
Gender and Depression
25
Percentage
of population
aged 18-84
experiencing
major
depression
at some
point In life
Around the world
women are more
susceptible to
depression
20
20
15
15
10
10
5
5
0
0
USA Edmonton Puerto
Rico
Males
Females
Paris
West
Florence Beirut
Germany
Taiwan
Korea
New
Zealand
Gender and Depression
10%
Percentage
depressed 8
Females
6
4
Males
2
0
12-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+
Age in Years
explaining depression
Psychoanalytic (Freud w/ childhood
Social-cognitive
experiences and unconscious impulses.)
“attributional theory”
Significant losses are a reminder of
childhood loss.
the depressed person tends to think:
Unresolved anger toward our parents inward
against ourselves.
Biological
Norepinephrine
Serotonin
(people suffering from depression tend to
have low levels of both of these
neurotransmitters)
•Genetics
•(if an identical twin suffers from major
depressive disorder or bipolar disorder the
chances that the other twin will experience
symptoms is higher than those with a
fraternal twin who is suffering)
internal
("it's my fault"),
stable
("things can't change")
global
("this affects everything“)
Behavioral
Learned helplessness
symptoms of bipolar disorder
Cycling mood changes: severe highs (mania) and lows (depression)
Mania often affects thinking, judgment, and social behavior in ways that
cause serious problems and embarrassment. Mania, left untreated, may
worsen to a psychotic state.
Symptoms of Mania:
Abnormal or excessive elation
Overactive / overtalkative
Unusual irritability
Decreased need for sleep
Grandiose notions
Increased talking
Racing thoughts
Increased sexual desire
Markedly increased energy
Poor judgment
Inappropriate social behavior
Seasonal Affective Disorder
• regularly occurring symptoms of depression (excessive eating and
sleeping, weight gain) during the fall or winter months
• full remission from depression occur in the spring and summer months
• symptoms have occurred in the past two years, with no non-seasonal
depression episodes
• seasonal episodes substantially outnumber non-seasonal depression
episodes.
• a craving for sugary and/or starchy foods
CAUSE OF SADDNESS?
Melatonin is normally released by the pineal gland in the evening as sunlight is
diminishing. Melatonin causes us to feel tired and withdraw. This helps us to sleep,
but if we have to be awake when melatonin is in our system, we become lethargic,
disoriented, irritable and moody. Almost everyone with a mood disorder suffers
worse in the winter because of excess melatonin in his or her system.