DEPRESSION Overview

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?

Depression is a mood disorder,characterized by a feeling of sadness,loss or anger that interfere with a person’s everyday life activities, but if these feelings persist and affect the quality of life significantly it called depression.

According to WHO,  depression is the most common illness worldwide and the leading cause of disability

Type of depression

There are different types of depression,some important types of depression are:

• MDD(major depressive disorder)-  major disorder is a mood disorder characterised by a number of key features such as depressed mood ,lack of interest in activities, change in weight,change in sleep ,fatigue etc

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• Persistent depressive disorder-  DYSTHYMIA now known as persistent depressive disorder, refers to a type of chronic depressive present for more days than not for at least two years. It can be mild moderate and severe.

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• Bipolar disorder-is a mood disorder characterised by periods of abnormality elevated mood known as mania, these periods can be mild(hypomania) or they can be so extreme as to cause marked impairment, with a person’s life,require hospitalization,or affect a person’s sense or reality.

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• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder(PMDD)- Among the most common symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are irritability,fatigue,anxiety,moodiness,bloating,increased appetite,food cravings,aches etc

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• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)-as the name suggests it is seasonal depression ,which is related to the seasonal it means SADbegins and ends at the same with the season, typically starting in the late fall and early winter and going away from during the spring and summer .

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• A rare form of seasonal depression known as summer depression,begins in late spring or early summer and ends in the fall.

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RISK FACTORS

Some people are at higher risk factors include:

• Life events-these include bereavement,divorce,work issues,relationship with friends and family,financial problems,medical concerns,or sadness , grief ,all these events affect the mental conditions.

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• Personality-those with less successful coping strategies,or previous life trauma are more susceptible

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• Genetic factors -having a first degree relatives with depression increases the risk of depression

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• Childhood trauma- trauma may be mental or physical, such as having mental stress in family or any mental harassment during childhood lead to depression.

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• Some prescription drugs: these include corticosteroids some beta-blockers,interferon and other prescription drugs.

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• Abuse of recreational drugs: excess use of alcohol,amphetamines,and other drugs are strongly linked to depression

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• A past history of sexual,physical,or emotional abuse can lead to depression .

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• Chronic pain syndromes:chronic conditions such as diabetes,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,and cardiovascular disease make depression more likely.