Depression

Aaron Lloyd
What is Depression?

According to Anxiety and Depression Association of America depression is a condition

in which a person feels discouraged, sad, hopeless, unmotivated, or disinterested in life
in general. When these feelings last for a short period of time, it may be a case of "the
blues."

But when such feelings last for more than two weeks and when the feelings interfere
with daily activities such as taking care of family, spending time with friends, or going
to work or school, it's likely a major depressive episode.
Symptoms
● Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" mood
● Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
● Feelings of guilt, worthlessness,
helplessness
● Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and
activities, including sex
● Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling "slowed
down"
● Difficulty concentrating, remembering,
making decisions
● Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or
oversleeping
● Low appetite and weight loss or overeating
and 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 pain for which no
other cause can be diagnosed.
Types of Depression

Major depression involves at least five of these symptoms for a two-week period.

Persistent depressive disorder, or PDD (formerly called dysthymia) is a form of depression that usually continues for at
least two years.

Bipolar disorder, once called is characterized by a mood cycle that shifts from severe highs (mania) or mild
manic-depression highs (hypomania) to severe lows (depression).

Depression and anxiety disorders are different, but people with depression often
experience symptoms similar to those of an anxiety disorder, such as nervousness,
irritability, and problems sleeping and concentrating. But each disorder has its own
causes and its own emotional and behavioral symptoms.
Depression Statistics

● As many as one in 33 children and one in eight adolescents have clinical depression. (Center for Mental Health
Services, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1996)
● Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15-44. (World Health
Organization, 2004)
● Untreated depression is the number one risk for suicide among youth. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in
15 to 24 year olds and the fourth leading cause of death in 10 to 14 year olds. Young males age 15 to 24 are at
highest risk for suicide, with a ratio of males to females at 7:1. (American Association of Suicidology, 1996)
● Up to 80% of those treated for depression show an improvement in their symptoms generally within four to six
weeks of beginning medication, psychotherapy, attending support groups or a combination of these treatments.
(National Institute of Health, 1998)
● Despite its high treatment success rate, nearly two out of three people suffering with depression do not actively
seek nor receive proper treatment. (DBSA, 1996)
 How to Diagnose
Depression can’t be tested for with blood to lab test, the best way is for your doctor to
simply talk with you about your specific symptoms.

The use of standardized questions to screen are common.

A highly reliable 2 question test asks the following:

1. During the past month, have you been bothered by feeling down, depressed, or
hopeless?
2. During the past month, have you been bothered by little interest or pleasure in doing
things?
Types of Questionnaires

● The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) -- a 9-item self-administered diagnostic

screening and severity tool based on current diagnostic criteria for major depression
● Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), -- a 21-question multiple-choice self-report that
measures the severity of depression symptoms and feelings
● Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale -- a short survey that measures the level of
depression, ranging from normal to severely depressed
● Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) -- an instrument that
allows patients to evaluate their feelings, behavior, and outlook from the previous week
● Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), also known as the Hamilton
Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) or abbreviated to HAM-D -- a multiple choice
questionnaire that doctors may use to rate the severity of a patient's depression
Historical Outlook on Depression

● Depression has always affected humans and for most of our history depression is
attributed to spirits and/or demons.
● In 1621, Robert Burton published Anatomy of Melancholy, in which he described the
psychological and social causes (such as poverty, fear and solitude) of depression. In
this encyclopedic work, he recommended diet, exercise, distraction, travel, purgatives
(cleansers that purge the body of toxins), bloodletting, herbal remedies, marriage, and
even music therapy as treatments for depression (NEMADE, R., PH.D., REISS, N. S., PH.D., &
DOMBECK, M., PH.D. (2007, September 19)).
● During the beginning of the Age of Enlightenment (the 18th and early 19th centuries),
it was thought that depression was an inherited, unchangeable weakness of
temperament, which lead to the common thought that affected people should be
shunned or locked up.
Strategies to Battle Depression

● Support groups provide the kind of sharing and caring that is crucial.
● Small strategies, such as exercising or being social, can have the biggest impact on
people who are depressed, explained Jackson P. Rainer, Ph.D., head of the psychology
and counseling department at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Ga.
● Complete small task such as getting dressed, showering, brush your teeth, and putting
your shoes on. While these are small achievements they start to compound and build
on each other. Completing so many task can start to alter your mood, because it isn’t
as hopeless since you are accomplishing things.
Adaptive Materials

● Pre arranged time out area

● Pre arranged trusted teacher to go down talk with
● Stress balls or containers with rice
● Known coping techniques
● Journals
● Arts and/or crafts
 ● Limit screen time and encourage physical activity
Parental to help develop positive connections with others.
Responsibilities ● One-on-one time with parents, praise for good
behavior, and pointing out strengths build the
parent-child bond.
● Provide safety and security
● Educate others
● Help your child learn thinking and coping skills
● Make a safety plan
 ● Your Doctor

Help! ● Your school district Special Education

Where to look? Department

● The Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority

● Michigan Department of Health and Human

Services

● Anxiety and Depression Association of America

How can you even try to understand
how it feels?

Go to this site on your mobile device:

www.DepressionQuest.com
Thank You, Here are my Resources

➔ https://www.adaa.org

➔ http://www.dbsalliance.org

➔ http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net

➔ http://www.webmd.com

➔ NEMADE, R., PH.D., REISS, N. S., PH.D., & DOMBECK, M., PH.D. (2007, September 19). Historical Understandings Of

Depression. Retrieved March, 2017, from https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/historical-understandings-of-depression/