Ozarks Local August 2002, page 3:
Section: Your Focus
Depression to be the 2nd leading cause of lost health
By By Dep. of Psychiatry, Washington University of St. Louis
Some unknown facts of depression: Of the estimated 17.5 million Americans who are affected by some form of depression, 9.2 million have major or clinical depression. Two-thirds of people suffering from depression do not seek necessary treatment. 80% of all people with clinical depression, who have received treatment, significantly improve their lives. The economic cost of depression is estimated at $30.4 billion a year but the cost in human suffering cannot be estimated. Women experience depression about twice as often as men.
By the year 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that depression will be the number two cause of "lost years of healthy life" worldwide. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suicide was the ninth leading cause of death in the United States in 1996. Major Depression is 1.5-3.0 times more common among first-degree biological relatives of those with the disorder than among the general population.
Depression is a whole body illness that affects a person's physical health as well as how he or she feels, thinks, and behaves towards others. In addition, a person who suffers from this disorder may have problems eating, sleeping, working, and getting along with his/her friends.
Specifically, clinical depression is a persistent, depressed mood that is often characterized by feelings of sadness or emptiness. People who have depression, or more formally, Major Depressive Disorder, experience at least five of the following symptoms (in the black box), nearly every day, for a period of at least two weeks.
These episodes are also accompanied by clinically significant distress, or impairment (interference) in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. If impairment is severe, the person might lose the ability to function socially or occupationally.
Mental health should be precious to all of us. Please, review the black box and if you require additional information on depression or manic depression contact: Depression and Manic Depression Association (DMDA) at (314) 776-3969 or visit them online at www.dmda-stl.org.
--BOX--
Symptoms of Depression
1) Difficulty sleeping, sleeping too much
2) Appetite disturbance
3) Profound lack of energy
4) Lack of enjoyment or pleasure
5) Self-criticism
6) Hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness.
7) Unable to make smallest decisions
8) Neglects personal grooming
9) Anxiety
10) Guilt feelings and low self-esteem
11) Suicide thoughts with severe
Depression
12) Difficulty concentrating or remembering
Symptoms of Manic
1) Supercharged energy
2) A need for little sleep
3) Super-organization
4) Loud and rapid speech
5) Poor judgement (reflected in spending sprees, increased sexual behavior, telephoning all hours)
6) Overinvolvement in politics or religion
7) Overly argumentative, im-pulsive, easily distracted
8) Increased grandiosity
9) Travel impulsively
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