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| ]'s photograph '']'' has been used to show the despair of a woman trying to provide for her family during a time of economic hardship]] | |||
| {{Otheruses|Depression}} | |||
| '''Depression''' is a state of low mood and aversion to activity. A depressed person may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable or restless. They may lose interest in activities that once were pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, or problems concentrating, remembering details or making decisions; and may contemplate or attempt suicide. Insomnia, waking early, excessive sleeping, fatigue, loss of energy, or aches, pains or digestive problems that are resistant to treatment may be present.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/complete-index.shtml | title = Depression | accessdate = 2010-05-22 | date = 2009-09-23 | publisher = ]}}</ref> | |||
| ==Illnesses featuring depression== | |||
| '''Depression''' is a state of high ] and Happiness. The ] defines a depressed person as experiencing feelings of sadness, helplessness and hopelessness. In traditional ], feeling "depressed" is often synonymous with feeling "]", but both ] and non-clinical depression can also refer to a conglomeration of more than one feeling. | |||
| For a discussion of non-psychiatric medical illnesses that cause depression see ]. | |||
| For a discussion of psychiatric syndromes featuring depression see ], ] and ]. | |||
| ==Physiology or mechanism== | |||
| The precise number of individuals who have severe depression are not known but estimates indicate that about 12 million adults in the US have depression. Depression cuts across all barriers and affects all ], cultures and ]. The disorder generally begins in early ] but can occur at any age. While hospital data reveal that more women have depression, it is hypothesized that this is because men are less likely to seek treatment. Depression occurs in various grades and symptoms are likely to vary in intensity. | |||
| Depression is thought to arise from changes in substances in the brain (]) that help nerve cells communicate, such as ], ] and ]. The levels of these neurotransmitters can be influenced by genetics, hormonal changes, responses to medications, aging, brain injuries, seasonal/light cycle changes, and other medical conditions. The genetic contribution to depression is estimated to be 40-50%.<ref name=Lee2010>{{cite journal |author=Lee S, Jeong J, Kwak Y, Park SK |title=Depression research: where are we now? |journal=Mol Brain |volume=3 |issue= |pages=8 |year=2010 |pmid=20219105 |pmc=2848031 |doi=10.1186/1756-6606-3-8 |url=}}</ref> Women are twice as likely as men to experience depression, perhaps because of fluctuations in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle and after childbirth. <ref name=Merck>{{cite web |url=http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec07/ch101/ch101b.html#sec07-ch101-ch101b-216 |title=Depression: Mood Disorders: Merck Manual Home Edition |format= |work= |accessdate=12 August 2010}}</ref> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| Slight depression is of minor consequence. One may become slightly depressed over a loss of a job; break up of a romantic relationship or ]. Other causes of slight depressions include loss of a parent, sibling, marital stress, job ], moving or not having a great job. Slight depression may present with feelings of ], sleeping problems, ], being easily annoyed and feeling tired. Slight depression is reversible and short term. Most people get over slight depression with time and ]. | |||
| *] | |||
| == References == | |||
| There are some individuals whom may develop mild depression, which may start gradually for no reason. The individual may start to feel tired, restless, ] and have difficulty sleeping. In many cases, the individual loses interest in sex and wants to be left alone. One may be able to go to work but not have any enjoyment. Mild depression may last a lot longer than slight depression, but can be overcome with changes in lifestyle, ] and ]. <ref> Mayo Clinic. Retrieved on 2010-02-07</ref> | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| However, some individuals develop ], which may induce feelings of ] as it is common in severe depression. In severe depression, one may feel sad constantly, cry for no apparent reason, have trouble sleeping and focusing , become ], feel worthless, have ] or even ] . <ref> MedicineNet. Retrieved on 2010-02-07</ref> | |||
| * : Depression | |||
| While slight depression has a cause, both mild and severe depression generally are complex disorders, which are not well understood. Mild depression may be related to the environment, such as being unable to cope with a certain job, unemployment, financial problems or loss of a loved one. No one understands why severe depression occurs. Even though many ] studies have been done, the exact ] in the brain which play a role in depression are still in question. Some studies do show that severe depression may be more common in families. <ref> National institute of mental health. Retrieved on 2010-02-07</ref> | |||
| * : Depression | |||
| Although the exact causes of depression are unknown, there are several risk factors that can trigger or increase the risk of depression. <ref> netDoctor Portal. Retrieved on 2010-02-07</ref> | |||
| * : Bipolar/Depression | |||
| ==Symptoms== | |||
| There are many symptoms that signify depression. The frequency, duration, and severity of these symptoms will vary depending on the individual. <ref>, National Institute of Health, 23 September 2009.</ref> Some signs and symptoms that can occur include:<ref>, National Institute of Health, 23 September 2009.</ref><ref>, Helpguide.org: Understand, Prevent and Resolve Life's Challenges.</ref> | |||
| *The most common feature of clinical depression is dysphoria, otherwise known as feeling down in the dumps | |||
| *Anger and/or irritability. | |||
| *Persistent sadness, the feeling of being "empty", and anxious. | |||
| *Changes in sleep patterns (insomnia, in particular during the early hours of the morning, or oversleeping which is also known as hypersomnia). | |||
| *Loss of interest in everyday activities. | |||
| *Appetite or weight changes (a significant weight gain or loss, by more than 5% of body weight). | |||
| *Irritability or restlessness. | |||
| *Loss of energy. | |||
| *Concentration problems. | |||
| *Fear of failure. | |||
| *Repetition in speech. | |||
| *Unexplained aches and pains. | |||
| *Frequent thoughts of suicide or death. | |||
| *Compulsive-obsessive disorders (such as chewing fingernails). | |||
| *Inability to control spending or eating. | |||
| *Feeling worthless or ignored. | |||
| *Loss of sexual inhabitions and erectile dysfunction/vaginal dryness | |||
| ==Causes== | |||
| It is estimated that about 1 out of 6 adults suffer from depression.<ref>, Otsuko America Pharmaceutical, Inc., July 2009</ref> Although depression does not have a single cause, many things contribute to the feeling of depression, such as family history, pessimistic personality, trauma and stress, physical conditions, and other psychological disorders. <ref>, GlaxoSmithKline, 1997-2009.</ref> Gender may additionally be a contributing factor. The ratio of depression in men and women is 1:2. <ref>[Rao, U., & Chen, L. (n.d.). Characteristics, correlates, and outcomes of childhood and adolescent depressive disorders. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved February 24, 2010, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2766280/?tool=pubmed</ref> | |||
| ===Risk factors=== | |||
| * Having a family member or relative with depression. | |||
| * Having a family member who has committed suicide. | |||
| * Stressful events like losing a job, death of a loved one, financial difficulties. | |||
| * Having depression as a child or teenager. | |||
| * Having a ] illness like ], ], ], or ]. | |||
| * Having a personality where one has low ], no confidence, being dependent on others or being ] all the time. | |||
| * Having just delivered a baby (]). | |||
| * Having little or no money and being of a low ]. Cultural considerations are relevant to mixed episodes as well. | |||
| Slight and mild depression may not cause any complications. But severe depression can have an agonizing toll on the individual and the family. When severe depression is untreated it can quickly lead to ] and suicidal thinking. Severe depression can also cause deep emotional turmoil, changes in behavior, and legal and monetary problems. <ref> eMedicine Health Portal. Retrieved on 2010-02-07</ref> | |||
| Biological influences of depression are varied, but may relate to ], ]<ref>{{cite journal |author=Ledochowski M, Widner B, Murr C, Sperner-Unterweger B, Fuchs D |title=Fructose malabsorption is associated with decreased plasma tryptophan |journal=Scand. J. Gastroenterol. |volume=36 |issue=4 |pages=367–71 |year=2001 |pmid=11336160 |doi=10.1080/003655201300051135}}</ref>, ], ]s, ], ], ], drug or alcohol use, ] malfunction, long-term exposure to dampness and mold,<ref>{{cite journal| title=Dampness and Mold in the Home and Depression: An Examination of Mold-Related Illness and Perceived Control of One’s Home as Possible Depression Pathways |author=Edmond D. Shenassa, Constantine Daskalakis, Allison Liebhaber, Matthias Braubach, and MaryJean Brown |year = 2007 |volume= 97 |issue= 10 | journal = American Journal of Public Health | doi = 10.2105/AJPH.2006.093773 | pmid = 17761567 | url = http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/97/10/1893| pages=1893| pmc=1994167}}</ref> back injury, and to aerosol exposure.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Symptoms of mothers and infants related to total volatile organic compounds in household products | journal = Arch Environ Health | year = 2003 | volume = 58 |issue = 10 | pages = 633–41 | pmid = 15562635 | doi = 10.3200/AEOH.58.10.633-641 | author = Farrow, Alexandra | first2 = H | first3 = K | first4 = J}}</ref><ref>, University of Bristol press release issued 19 October 2004</ref> There are also correlations between long term sleep difficulties and depression. Up to 90% of patients with depression are found to have sleep difficulties.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Roth T |title=Prevalence, associated risks, and treatment patterns of insomnia |journal=J Clin Psychiatry |volume=66 Suppl 9 |issue= |pages=10–3; quiz 42–3 |year=2005 |pmid=16336036 |doi= |url=}}</ref> | |||
| ==Complications== | |||
| When depression is neglected or severe, it can lead to: | |||
| * ]. | |||
| * ]. | |||
| * ]. | |||
| * ]. | |||
| * Heart problems. | |||
| * Weight problems. | |||
| * Work-related problems. | |||
| * Family conflicts. | |||
| * Interpersonal difficulties. | |||
| * Social isolation and loneliness. | |||
| ==Treatments== | |||
| {{Main|Treatment for depression}} | |||
| ==As a ]== | |||
| A number of authors have suggested that depression is an ]. A low or depressed mood can increase an individual's ability to cope with situations in which the effort to pursue a major goal could result in danger, loss, or wasted effort.<ref name="Nesse00">{{cite journal |author=Nesse R |title=Is Depression an Adaptation? |journal=Arch. Gen. Psychiatry |volume=57 |issue= 1|pages=14–20 |year=2000 |pmid= 10632228|doi= 10.1001/archpsyc.57.1.14|url=http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww-personal.umich.edu%2F%257Enesse%2FArticles%2FIsDepAdapt-ArchGenPsychiat-2000.pdf&ei=jk3MSovRNJ6qtgeY-6HtAQ&rct=j&q=%22is+depression+an+adaptation%22&usg=AFQjCNG_VSyM2WmMZebjLpzjgcj8CVluDQ}}</ref> In such situations, low motivation may give an advantage by inhibiting certain actions. This theory helps to explain why depression is so prevalent, and why it so often strikes people during their peak reproductive years. These characteristics would be difficult to understand if depression were a dysfunction, as many psychiatrists assume.<ref name="Nesse00"/> | |||
| Depression is a predictable response to certain types of life occurrences, such as loss of status, divorce, or death of a child or spouse. These are events that signal a loss of reproductive ability or potential, or that did so in humans' ancestral environment. Depression can be seen as an adaptive response, in the sense that it causes an individual to turn away from the earlier (and reproductively unsuccessful) modes of behavior. | |||
| A depressed mood is common during illnesses, such as ]. It has been argued that this is an evolved mechanism that assists the individual in recovering by limiting his/her physical activity.<ref name="Nesse94">''Why We Get Sick: The New Science of Darwinian Medicine'', Randolphe M. Nesse and George C. Williams | Vintage Books | 1994 | ISBN 0-8129-2224-7</ref> The occurrence of low-level depression during the winter months, or ], may have been adaptive in the past, by limiting physical activity at times when food was scarce.<ref name="Nesse94"/> It is argued that humans have retained the instinct to experience low mood during the winter months, even if the availability of food is no longer determined by the weather.<ref name="Nesse94"/> | |||
| An alternative theory <ref>''How Sadness Survived: The Evolutionary Basis of Depression'', Paul Keedwell | Radcliffe Publishing | 2008 | ISBN 1846190134</ref> posits that depression is a plea for help. However this view is not widely credited by evolutionary biologists: depression is observed in other species that are not social, and depression in humans is often actively hidden from others; even when it is apparent, it often fails to elicit a positive response.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Hendrie C A |title=Depression as an evolutionary adaptation: implications for the development of preclinical models. |journal=Med. Hypotheses |volume=72 |issue= 3|pages=342–347 |year=2009 |pmid= 19153014|doi= 10.1016/j.mehy.2008.09.053|url= |first2=AR}} PMID 19153014</ref> | |||
| Milder depression has been associated with what has been called ], or the "sadder-but-wiser" effect, a view of the world that is relatively undistorted by positive biases.<ref name="PositiveIllusions">{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=SE |title=Positive Illusions: Creative Self-deception and the Healthy Mind |publisher=Basic Books |location=New York, NY, USA |year=1991 |isbn=0465060536}}</ref> | |||
| ==Psychiatric disorders== | |||
| {{Main|Types of psychological depression}} | |||
| Episodes of depressed mood are a core feature of the following psychological disorders, as specified by the ]: | |||
| *] with depressed mood | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] (SAD) | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| == External links == | |||
| * {{dmoz|Health/Mental_Health/Disorders/Mood/Depression|Depression}} | |||
| * '''' at '']'' | |||
| * – Depression support, advocacy, and education | |||
| * - ] | |||
| * | |||
| * – ] (HHS) | |||
| * – Depression self-assessment and information from the UK National Health Service | |||
| * – Depression - Information about Depression, Stress, Anxiety | |||
| * information from mental health charity The Royal College of Psychiatrists | |||
| * – Depression management | |||
| * – Depression Alliance is a UK charity for people with clinical depression and anxiety | |||
| * – Depression management | |||
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Revision as of 13:52, 14 August 2010
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity. A depressed person may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable or restless. They may lose interest in activities that once were pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, or problems concentrating, remembering details or making decisions; and may contemplate or attempt suicide. Insomnia, waking early, excessive sleeping, fatigue, loss of energy, or aches, pains or digestive problems that are resistant to treatment may be present.
Illnesses featuring depression
For a discussion of non-psychiatric medical illnesses that cause depression see Depression (differential diagnoses). For a discussion of psychiatric syndromes featuring depression see Mood disorder, Adjustment disorder and Borderline personality disorder.
Physiology or mechanism
Depression is thought to arise from changes in substances in the brain (neurotransmitters) that help nerve cells communicate, such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. The levels of these neurotransmitters can be influenced by genetics, hormonal changes, responses to medications, aging, brain injuries, seasonal/light cycle changes, and other medical conditions. The genetic contribution to depression is estimated to be 40-50%. Women are twice as likely as men to experience depression, perhaps because of fluctuations in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle and after childbirth.
See also
References
- "Depression". National Institute of Mental Health. 2009-09-23. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
- Lee S, Jeong J, Kwak Y, Park SK (2010). "Depression research: where are we now?". Mol Brain. 3: 8. doi:10.1186/1756-6606-3-8. PMC 2848031. PMID 20219105.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - "Depression: Mood Disorders: Merck Manual Home Edition". Retrieved 12 August 2010.
External links
- NHS Choices Health A-Z: Depression
- NHS Choices Live Well: Depression
- Bipolar/Depression Forums: Bipolar/Depression