Understanding Depression

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Understanding Depression
Prof. Ellen Greer, MA, OTR/L, C.PsyA Prof. Luis
F. Riquelme, MS,CCC-SLP Prof. Ellen Godwin, MS,
PT Prof. Rebecca States, PhD Assoc. Dean William
Susman, PhD, PT

• Interdisciplinary, Community-Based, Health
  Education for Diverse Elders. HRSA Grant 1 D37
  HP 00838-01.

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What is Depression?

• A serious medical illness that should be treated
  at any age.
• Often occurs along with other physical (medical?)
  conditions.

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Depression Affects the Whole Person

• Serious depressions are whole body disorders.
• Depression affects the body, feelings, thoughts,
  and behavior.

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Depression May Go Unnoticed

• Symptoms are often overlooked when they happen at
  the same time as
• Other medical illnesses
• Difficult life events
• Symptoms of depression are not the same as
• Temporary blues or
• Sad moods that everyone feels after a loss

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Depression Can Be Disabling

• Depression involves a set of painful symptoms.
• Symptoms can last for months or years.
• People who suffer with these symptoms are changed
  from the way they were before.
• Symptoms can interfere with every day activities,
  and become a disability.

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10 Symptoms of Depression

1. Persistent sad, anxious or empty mood
2. Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
3. Restlessness, irritability, or excessive crying
4. Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness,
   hopelessness
5. Sleeping too much or too little, early morning
   awakening

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Symptoms

1. Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and
   weight gain
2. Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling slowed down
3. Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
4. Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making
   decisions
5. Lasting physical symptoms that do not respond to
   treatment headaches, digestive problems,
   chronic pain

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Depression Can Involve Mood Cycles

• Some people with depressive illness experience
  cycles of terriblelows and inappropriate
  highs.
• This emotional roller coaster is called bipolar
  disorder or manic depressive illness.

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Symptoms of Mood Cycles

• Abnormally elevated Inappropriate social
  energy behavior
• Irritability Risk taking behavior
• Racing thoughts Poor judgment
• Grandiose notions Increased talking
• Increased activity Markedly increased
• Severe Insomnia mood

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What Are The Causes?

• The causes are not always known.
• Symptoms may appear for no apparent reason.
• Symptoms may be associated with a life crisis,
  stress or other illness.
• Depressive illnesses run in families.

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Diagnosis Involves Having a Good Checkup

• Rule out other problems
• Complete physical exam and medical work up
• Complete history of current and previous symptoms
• Questions about illnesses of other family members
• Questions about mood, memory, and changes in
  relationships

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Depression in Later Life

• Prevalence
• Over 2 million of the 34 million Americans agend
  65 and older suffer from some form of depression.
• Co-occurring Illnesses
• Symptoms can be triggered by other chronic
  illnesses, such as Alzheimer's disease,
  Parkinsons disease, cancer and arthritis.
• Widowhood
• One-third of widows/widowers meet criteria for
  depression in the first month after the death of
  their spouse and half of these individuals remain
  clinically depressed after one year.

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Effective Treatments Are Available!

• Treatment is needed !!!!!
• When 4 or more of these symptoms last longer than
  2 weeks or interfere with ordinary functioning,
  professional treatment is needed.
• Medications and psychosocial treatments are often
  used in combination.
• Nearly everyone can be helped quickly.
• Individuals or family members with concerns about
  the co-occurrence of depression with another
  illness should discuss these issues with their
  primary physician.

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Encourage Anyone Who Is Depressed To Get Help

• People with serious depression need encouragement
  from family and friends to get a diagnosis and to
  seek the treatment that can ease their pain.
• Some people need even more help, they need to be
  taken to treatment.

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Seek Treatment or Referral from

• Physicians
• Mental health specialists
• Community mental health centers
• Family service/social agencies
• Health maintenance organizations
• Hospital departments of psychiatry or outpatient
  psychiatric clinics
• University or medical school affiliated programs
• Private clinics and facilities

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Support Groups

• Many people benefit from joining mutual and
  family support groups.
• For a list of groups in your area, contact
• National Alliance for the Mentally IllColonial
  Place Three2107 Wilson Blvd. Suite
  300Arlington, VA 222011-30421-800-950-NAMI
  (6264)

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Understanding Depression

• Q A
• Questions and Answers