Transcript committing suicide

UNDERSTANDING
DEPRESSION
Facts and Myths
WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
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Major depression is a mood disorder
characterized by a pervasive and persistent low
mood that is accompanied by low self-esteem and
by loss of interest or pleasure in normally
enjoyable activities.
The DSM-IV-TR criteria for an episode of major
depression specify that the patient must have at
least 5 of the 9 symptoms of depression (and one
of them must be depressed mood or loss of
interest or pleasure)
DSM IV-TR
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A. Five (or more) of the following symptoms have
been present during the same 2-week period and
represent a change from previous functioning, at
least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed
mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.
Note: Do not include symptoms that are clearly
due to a general medical condition, or moodincongruent delusions or hallucinations.
DSM IV-TR
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(1) depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report
(e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). Note: In children
and adolescents, can be irritable mood.
(2) markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all activities most of the day,
nearly every day (as indicted by either subjective account or observation made by others:
(3) significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., change of more than 5% of body
weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. Note: In children,
consider failure to make expected weight gains.
(4) insomnia or hyper-somnia nearly every day.
(5) psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely
subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down)
(6) fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
(7) feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional)
nearly every day (not merely self-reproach or guild about being sick)
(8) diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (either
subjective account or as observed by others)
(9) recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a
specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.
B. The symptoms do not meet criteria for a Mixed Episode
C. The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or
other important areas of functioning.
D. The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of
abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition. (e.g., hypothyroidism).
E. The symptoms are not better accounted for by Bereavement, i.e., after the loss of a loved one,
the symptoms persist for longer than 2 months or are characterized by marked functional
impairment, morbid preoccupation with worthlessness, suicidal ideation, psychotic symptoms,
or psychomotor retardation.
MYTH: DEPRESSION IS NOT A REAL
ILLNESS
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Depression is a complex mental illness that is
oftentimes misrepresented and misunderstood
within our culture. Every case of depression
comes with its own nuisances and complexities.
We need to become more holistic in how we
recognize and treat this condition, and less
reliant on quick fixes.
FACT: MEN GET DEPRESSED
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There is a common presumption that depression is a female
affliction. This is not entirely without merit, as two times
more women than men are diagnosed with depression , a
striking figure that holds up across the globe. However,
the disparity between the sexes does not mean that men
are immune from depression. In fact, some researchers
contend that men may be equally vulnerable to depression,
but less likely to seek help or treatment because this goes
against the rigid constructions of masculinity. Moreover,
males who are experiencing depression may manifest
symptoms in less emotional ways and more covert means,
such as through acting out, aggression, and/or alcohol or
substance abuse which may not be properly identified as
manifestations of depression. In other words, there may be
gendered patterns to expression of depressive symptoms
that make the mental illness more likely to be identified
and observed in women as compared to men.
MYTH: CHILDREN DON’T GET DEPRESSED
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Depression can develop in any age group, ethnic
group, economic group, and gender.
FACT: ANYONE CAN GET DEPRESSED
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Poet or linebacker, shy or outgoing, anyone can
develop depression. There are many things that
can trigger depression.
MYTH: MEDICATION IS THE MOST
EFFECTIVE TREATMENT
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The notion that meds are the most effective
intervention to date in treating depression is false. In
fact, the standard FDA requires for psychiatric
medications to be approved and sold to consumers is
not a high one; only two independent studies that
yield significant results in favor of drugs is required,
regardless of how many trials may be required to
render such findings.
In other words, “so long as research eventually yields
evidence of efficacy, the failures would remain off the
books. This is why antidepressants have been
approved even though so many studies have shown
them to be ineffective” (Greenberg,2010,p.216)
MYTH: MEDICATION IS THE MOST
EFFECTIVE TREATMENT (CONT’D)
Moreover, research suggests that the reduction of
depressive symptoms seen with antidepressant
use may be more indicative of a placebo effect
than the merits of the drug itself.
 For instance, some sources contend that up to
80% of the effectiveness of antidepressants is due
to placebo effects. (see Greenberg, 2010). This
comes at a high cost, given the documented (and
not so documented) side effects—chief among
them that in some cases, ironically, use of
antidepressants actually increase suicidal
ideation (particularly among adolescents).
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MYTH: DEPRESSION IS ALWAYS
SITUATIONAL
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While depression often does have a situational
trigger, like the loss of a loved one or divorce, the
underlying condition does not need any
particular event to surface. Depression is
typically diagnosed when someone suffers from
prolonged episodes (at least 2 weeks) of
hopelessness, emptiness and lethargy that seem
to have no apparent cause.
REFERENCES
Aalai, Azadeh. “ The First Impression: What do
you think of me?” Psychology Today, 10 (2013).
P211.
 Greenberg, G. (2010). Manufacturing Depression:
The Secret History of a Modern Disease. Simon &
Shuster: New York.
 American Psychiatric Association (2000)
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (Revised 4th ed.). Washington, DC:
Author
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