Running Head: DEPRESSION

Depression
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Institute/University

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Depression
Depression is a very common mental disorder that determined with the depressed mood.
It is a feeling of dejection and severe despondency. Most of the people suffer from depression in
their lives directly or indirectly (Smith, Saisan, & Segal, 2016).
Statistics:
Depression effects more than 14.8 million adults of the US annually, about 7% of the
young generation has the effects of depression. Persistent depression is the most common type of
depression prevails in the US population and the disorder at least lasts for two years.
Symptoms:
There are many symptoms of the depression, the most important symptoms are the
persistent feeling of sadness, emptiness and hopelessness. A depressed person may also feel
guilty and worthless. Depressed person may face problems in concentration and thinking
processes ("Depression (major depression) - Mayo Clinic", 2015). Appetite changes, gain and
loss of weight, too much sleeping or too less sleeping, feeling restless and irritable and thoughts
of suicide and death are all the symptoms of the depression. These problems can be chronic and
recurrent for the persons to accomplish his/her daily responsibilities/activities ("NIMH
Depression", 2015).
Types of depression:
Mood Disorders are treatable, but different disorders need different type of treatment.
So, the type of disorder must be identified, to get to the right treatment of the disorder. To define
the depression types, two terms must be understood. The first one is the depression episode and

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the second one is the recurrent depressive disorder. Depression is classified in to different types,
according to the different health organizations the major types of the depression identified or
discussed here ("NIMH Depression", 2015).
Depression episodes:
In moderate, mild or severe depression episodes the patient feels the low capacity for
enjoyment, reduction in energy, reduction in concentration and low level of the daily activity
rate. Due to the depression episode, the patient experiences loss of appetite and the loss of body
weight (Smith, Saisan, & Segal, 2016).
Recurrent Depression Disorder When a patient experienced the depression episodes
repeatedly without the independent mood elevation episode, then this is known a recurrent
depression disorder ("Depression | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA",
2015).
Dysthymia or Persistent depression disorder:
Depression disorder is considered to be persistent depression disorder if the disorder
symptoms last for at least 2 years. During this time period, the symptoms may have many
episodes of severe depression along with the period of less severe symptoms ("NIMH
Depression", 2015).
Perinatal Depression:
It is a relatively mild depression that mainly last for 2 weeks after delivery. Women after
delivery sometimes suffer from the perinatal depression and feeling of anxiety and sadness
persists for 2 weeks ("Depression | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA",

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2015). Due to the perinatal depression, it becomes difficult for the mother to take care of her
young infant ("NIMH Depression", 2015).
Seasonal affective disorder:
This disorder is usually characterized by the onset of the disorder with the arrival of the
winter months. This type of disorder is usually due to weather changing conditions and low
sunlight during winters. This disorder usually lifted up by the incoming spring and summer
seasons. The disorder causes increase in sleeping and weight gain ("NIMH Depression", 2015).
Psychotic depression:
This is a severe disorder in which a person has depression along with some psychosis
effect. This is a bipolar disorder and a major episode of depression. In this disorder patient may
have the upset thoughts or the some seeing or hearings that other persons cant see or hear. This
illness is due to some guilt, poverty or some bad living conditions. Psychotic depression only
persists during the depression episode ("NIMH Depression", 2015).
Bipolar Depression:
Bipolar disorders are actually not the part of the depression, but a person experience the
low moods thus meet the criteria of bipolar depression. Bipolar disorders are actually categorized
in the manic disorders. A person with the manic disorder experienced the depression episodes
("NIMH Depression", 2015).
Risk Factors:
Depression is now a day very common disorder, not only in the adults but also in the
children. Recent research shows that the depression is caused by the various factors. It can be

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caused due to genetic factors, psychological factors, environmental conditions, living standards
and due to some other mental disease.
Depression can occur in any age, but mainly it occurs in adulthood. Now a day,
depression symptoms are also commonly seen in the children too. Depression in older age may
occur due to co-occurring diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, Parkinson
diseases and cancer etc. Sometimes, the treatment of some of the other disease can cause
depression such as Hepatitis C, high blood pressure or hormonal treatments. Risk factor includes
the genetic factor, if depression runs in the family history, Major illnesses or life changes and
stress ("NIMH Depression", 2015).
Sex difference is another factor; women have more depression symptoms than men,
because women feel more sleeping, increased or decreased appetite anxiety and pain more than
men. But this factor is comparatively smaller than the other factors. But research shows that
women commit three times more suicide than men (Smith, Saisan, & Segal, 2016).
Diagnosis:
The diagnosis of depression involves physical diagnosis, clinical tests, psychological tests
and the DSM-5 test. The diagnosis method varies patient to patient, according to the type of
depression. The physical and psychological evaluation involves, the diagnosis of depression by
the physical attributes of patient, but the lab/clinical an DSM-5 tests involve, the brain and
muscle tests, which involve the examination of brain and nerves.

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Treatment:
Depression can be treated at any level/type/severity of the disorder. There are two
methods usually used for the treatment of the depression. The one is the psychotherapies or the
second one is medication. But in case if the symptoms are not reduced by any type of the
treatment, one can use both the methods or use the electro-convulsion therapy (ECT) or other
brain stimulatory therapies.
Medication:
Antidepressant is usually used to treat depression. The antidepressants are used to
improve the use of certain brain chemicals that can effect patients mood or stress control. But
usually a person needs to use several different antidepressants, to get to know the right one that
suits the particular patient and have good results ("Clinical depression - NHS Choices", 2016).
Medication has slow effect; it takes usually 2-4 weeks to get the results. In general cases,
appetite and sleep issues are resolved earlier than the improvement in the mood lifts. Medication
process is long, usually a patient recovers from the general symptoms earlier but for the complete
recovery, a person needs to take medication for 6-12 months. Doctors advice about the
medication is necessary, without advice patient shouldnt stop taking the medication, for total
recovery ("NIMH Depression", 2015).
Psychotherapies:
Psychotherapies are usually having fruitful effect on the depression patient. Many types
of therapies to reduce the depression are used; these therapies are also called talk therapy or
less specifically counselling.

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Brain stimulus Therapies:

Recent research shows that brain stimulus therapies (electro-convulsion therapy ECT)
can reduce the depression symptoms. ECT can provide relief to the depression patient. In some
severe cases, ECT can be the first line invention when medication cant be applied ("Depression
(major depression) - Mayo Clinic", 2015). ECT also have side effects like disorientation,
confusion and be short term memory loss, but these side effects are mainly short term. But
memory issues can be severe and critical. Patient is usually put under high anesthesia; thus he
cant feel pain during ECT. As ECT has many side effects and this is a difficult treatment, so
usually other two methods are preferred, but in severe cases ECT can be used. Beside all these
treatment ways, a person should try to be in relaxed mood, try to be friendly and social, try to set
realistic goals and do exercise to keep him/herself active and healthy.
Health Care Practices:
The department of health care in the US is working extensively to imply better healthcare
treatments to the patients having psychological disorders, as the extensive health care units and
the expressions of treatments are used mostly to minimize the depression level of patients being
treated in the hospitals. Physical therapies with the proper attention to the patient are the
common ways used by the health care institutes of the USA (Smith, Saisan, & Segal, 2016).

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References
Clinical depression - NHS Choices. (2016). Nhs.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2016,
fromhttp://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Depression/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Depression (major depression) - Mayo Clinic. (2015). Mayoclinic.org. Retrieved 15 June 2016,
fromhttp://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/basics/definition/con20032977
Depression | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. (2015). Adaa.org.
Retrieved 15 June 2016, fromhttp://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/depression
NIMH Depression. (2015). Nimh.nih.gov. Retrieved 15 June 2016,
fromhttps://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml
Smith, M., Saisan, J., & Segal, J. (2016). Depression Symptoms & Warning Signs: How to
Recognize Depression Symptoms and Get Effective Help. Helpguide.org. Retrieved 15
June 2016, fromhttp://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/depression-signs-andsymptoms.htm