MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT
MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT
January 26, 2001
"You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough."
- Joe E. Lewis
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Age Work
http://www.agework.com
Researchers interested in aging will find job listings and funding
opportunities at this site. The site also provides links to volunteer
opportunities, federal jobs, U.S. government reports and other
government Web sites. AgeWork is a collaborative project by the
Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, the National
Academy on an Aging Society and the Gerontological Society
of America.
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February 10-13, 2001: National Association of State Mental Health
Directors Research Institute, Washington, D.C. This 11th annual
conference is titled "Moving mental health services, research
and policy forward: How do we stop having the same conversations?
Contact: Vera Hollen, (703) 739-9333, ext 16.
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April 20-22, 2001: Rocky Mountain Psychological Association
annual meeting, Reno, NV Contact: Bill Wozniak,
Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Kearney,
Kearney, NE 68849; (308) 865-8235;
email: pannen.wpa@worldnet.att.net; Web site:
http://www.unk.edu/acad/grad_studies/rmpa
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Some Facts About Depression
What Is Depression
The term "depression" covers a broad spectrum of feelings
and behaviors, ranging from the transitory feelings of
disappointment, sadness, and pessimism that we all
experience at times in our lives to psychotic episodes that
are seriously disabling.
Depression is a result of our way of responding to a set
of unpleasant and stressful circumstances in our daily
life. There are times when depression would be considered
a normal response and certainly typical for most people
undergoing a particular circumstance, such as the death
of a loved one. Depression can be a normal response, but
sometimes it is an early warning signal that a more chronic,
debilitating level of depression might be on the horizon
if appropriate counteraction is not taken.
The line between normal and abnormal depression is not
always clear. But, generally, when an episode is more
intense than normal under the circumstances, when it
lasts longer than usual, when it pervades the individual's
thinking and emotions, when it interferes significantly
with his or her psychological, social, or occupational
functioning, the depression is considered to be pathological
and in need of clinical intervention.
Normal depression can become abnormal when any of the
following factors are present:
1. A prolonged period of sadness or grief following
an event that would ordinarily be associated with
a brief period of disappointment or unhappiness.
2. An intense response to a traumatic event so that
it becomes an overreaction and disrupts a wide
spectrum of daily living patterns.
3. The absence of a clear identifying cause or event
that produced a depressive response pattern.
4. A lack of any fluctuation in the depressed mood
even when there are clear changes occurring in the
environment and in the social relationships that
would ordinarily be associated with emotional
arousal and socially oriented behavior.
When the above signs and symptoms of depression are
widespread and affect the person's total life, there is
a dire need for a concerted therapeutic program under
professional guidance. However, it is first important
to determine whether the depression is chronic, severe
and in need of professional assessment and treatment.
The depressed mood may be accompanied by a wide variety
of symptoms and behaviors, not all of which are likely
to be present in any given client. Psychological
manifestations of depression include:
Anxiety: anxiety, tension, irritability
Depression: crying spells, feelings of helplessness,
feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, thoughts of death
or suicide
Guilt: self-reproach, feelings of worthlessness,
sense of failure, feelings of inadequacy
Thinking Disturbances: impaired memory, difficulty
thinking and concentrating, indecisiveness
Motivation: decreased motivation, apathy
Hostility:
Behavioral Manifestations of depression include:
Motor behavior: psychomotor retardation, agitation
Social Withdrawal: decreased interest and involvement
in the environment; reduced desire and ability to perform
usual roles in family, marriage, work, school; decreased
capacity to experience pleasure.
In depression, many of the normal physiological functions
are disrupted. Vegetative Signs of depression include:
Sleep Disturbance: early morning awakening;
difficulty falling asleep; restless, broken sleep;
frightening dreams; excessive sleep.
Change in appetite (usually decrease).
Change in weight (usually loss).
Change in sexual interest and activity (usually decrease)
Loss of energy; fatigue; weakness; lethargy.
The Physical complaints that accompany depression
are ubiquitous, involving every organ system. Among the most
common are:
General: pain of any nature, distribution, or
intensity; dizziness; light-headedness; dry mouth.
Cardiorespiratory: palpitations, dyspnea.
Gastrointestinal: constipation, nausea and
vomiting, diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, other
vague complaints.
Genitourinary: urinary frequency, sexual dysfunctions.
Endocrine: menstrual irregularities
Neurological: blurred vision, paresthesias.
Onset of depressive symptoms tend to occur insidiously.
The symptoms tend to be manifested at different times,
at different rates, and with different levels of intensity.
What Is Successful Treatment?
In undertaking a treatment program for depression, it is
helpful to know what defines success. The following
guidelines are suggested:
1. Successful treatment occurs when the client believes
that his/her behavior produces gratification and
that he/she comes to see themself as an effective
human being. In other words, there should be an
obvious relationship between the person's behavior
and the occurrence of consequences of this behavior
which are positive, pleasant and supportive.
2. Successful treatment occurs when the client learns
how to gain access to a wide variety of sources of
positive reinforcement or rewards. This includes
learning the skills of how to solicit reinforcement
from others and how to provide it to oneself. This
skill leads to a degree of optimism and hope.
3. Successful treatment occurs when the lessons learned
in therapy serve a preventative role in the life of
the client. It is necessary to resolve past problems
and the present level of depression. To prevent
future depressions from occurring and acquire the
skills to solve a wide variety of problems in the
future is most important to the outcome of therapy.
4. Successful treatment occurs when the client acquires
a wide repertoire of coping and mastery skills to
minimize the impact of noxious or aversive events
which will occur in the future.
5. Successful treatment occurs when the client can
demonstrate on graphs and charts that his/her daily
behavior is more involved with others, less self
deprecating and more initiating of new social contacts
and activities. That is, if the charts and graphs
show a change, the depression is probably changing.
Charting is merely one way to reveal actual behavior
change.
The treatment of depression generally consists of 20-25
sessions at weekly intervals. It is not uncommon for
therapists to prefer that clients come twice weekly for
the first several weeks of therapy, then change the
frequency to that of weekly sessions for the next 10-25
weeks, and then gradually reduce the frequency to
every other week for several months. Once treatment
effects have been achieved and termination is considered,
most therapists prefer to see a client in 3 or 4 months
for several booster sessions. These follow-up sessions
might be scheduled at regular intervals over the next
year or left to schedule, as needed.
Most therapists, especially those who practice behavior
therapy, make use of systematic homework assignments to
assist in bridging the gap between the therapy and the
real life environments. For example, homework assignments
might be given in socialization, such as going to a
specific social event or going shopping in a particular
store. On the other hand, homework assignments might
include assertive communication or practicing a particular
technique such as thought stopping. Also, friends and
families are often instructed to assist in certain ways
and to be available to aid in the utilization of treatment
techniques being learned in therapy.
Depression can have a profound effect on a client's
family. It can lead to serious disruptions in family life.
The client's spouse and children may be alienated,
neglected, even abused. Family members may themselves
develop depressions in response to the stresses they
experience.
When the effects of depression on the members of a client's
immediate family are considered, one can begin to
appreciate the impact of the disorder on the population
at large.
Nationally, depression represents a considerable drain
on the economy. Decreased productivity due to depressive
disorders costs the nation untold sums of money, not to
mention the potentially devastating effects on the finances
of the client's family.
Depression is a painful, costly, and sometimes
dangerous disorder - a disorder which results in
significant personal suffering, social disruption, and
economic loss.
Yet depression is responsive to management. The
prognosis is good. With proper treatment, the majority of
clients show marked to complete recovery.
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For further information, go to the following and begin by
trying these descriptors in the search engine. Yo can order
and purchase through the same link: depression, anxiety,
stress, depression and adults, depression and children,
depression treatment, depression and diagnosis, etc.
https://www.angelfire.com/biz/odochartaigh/searchbooks.html
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Contact your local Mental Health Center or check
the yellow pages for counselors, psychologists,
therapists, and other Mental Health Professionals
in your area for further information.
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