Understanding Depression

Learn About Depression

Most people will go through periods of time where they experience sadness, despair, and frustration. However, when these emotions continue on for a long time, or happen with such regularity and severity that an individual’s functionality is interrupted, a person might be experiencing a depressive disorder. In many instances, those who develop depressive disorders attempt to self-medicate themselves from the psychological upset they are having through the use of alcohol and/or drugs. This can be highly unhealthy, and can lead to the development of a number of consequences, including the exacerbation of the symptoms and the development of a substance use disorder.

Depressive disorders encompass a number of disorders that include feelings of emptiness, sadness, and/or irritability that are often accompanied by intrusive cognitive and somatic changes. The most common types of depressive disorders are major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and substance/medication-induced depressive disorder:

Major depressive disorder: Those who have five or more of the below listed symptoms for the majority of the day almost every day within a two-week period of time, and who go through serious distress or functional impairment as a result, can meet the criteria for major depressive disorder:

Depressed mood
Recurrent thoughts of death or experiencing suicidal ideation
Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all or most activities
Indecisiveness or diminished ability to think or concentrate
Significant change in appetite or unintentional change in weight
Feelings of worthlessness and/or excessive or inappropriate guilt
Hypersomnia or insomnia
Fatigue or loss of energy
Psychomotor retardation or agitation

Persistent depressive disorder: The fifth and most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) states that symptoms that were once linked to chronic major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder have now been consolidated into persistent depressive disorder. At least two of the following symptoms, plus depressed mood for most of the day almost every day for at least two years, can be enough criteria to diagnose persistent depressive disorder:

Sense of hopelessness
Poor concentration and/or problems making decisions
Poor self-esteem
Fatigue or low energy
Overeating or poor appetite
Disrupted sleep patterns, including insomnia or hypersomnia

Throughout the two-year period of time that an individual has these symptoms, an individual who has persistent depressive disorder will not be asymptomatic for over two months.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is marked by recurrent episodes of mood lability, anxiety symptoms, dysphoria, and irritability during a woman’s premenstrual phase of her menstrual cycle. Symptoms of this form of depressive disorder will lessen during or shortly after the start of a woman’s menses. To be diagnosed with this disorder, a woman must have at least five of the following symptoms, with at least one from each group:

Group 1

Mood swings or increased sensitivity to rejection
Anxiety, tension, and/or feelings of being on edge
Increased irritability or anger
Depression, hopelessness, and self-deprecating thoughts

Group 2

Breast tenderness or swelling, joint or muscle pain, weight gain, and other physical symptoms
Decreased interest in activities
Feeling of being overwhelmed
Problems with concentration
Disrupted sleep patterns, including hypersomnia or insomnia
Lethargy, fatigue, or significant lack of energy
Significant change in appetite, including overeating or specific food cravings

Additionally, a diagnosis for this disorder also requires that the woman has had these symptoms during most of her menses throughout the past 12 months.

Substance/medication-induced depressive disorder: To be diagnosed with this disorder, one must exhibit the following:

The disturbance does not happen exclusively during delirium, and the disturbance causes significant stress or impairment in important areas of functioning
An individual experiences prominent and persistent depressed mood or significantly diminished interest and/or pleasure in all or most activities
The disturbed mood is not better explained by a non-substance-related depressive disorder
Evidence exists that these symptoms occur during or following substance intoxication or withdrawal, and the substance is capable of producing these symptoms

Depressive disorders can cause serious mental health issues, and can have significant negative effects on an individual’s well-being. However, these different forms of depression are treatable, and with the appropriate care, individuals who have developed major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorders, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or substance/medication-induced depressive disorder can defeat their upsetting symptoms and rebuild happy, healthy lives.

Statistics

Statistics of Depression

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that major depression impacts 14.8 million people throughout the United States, or approximately 6.7% of those aged 18 and older. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), depression amongst adults is the most common between ages 18 and 25, followed by the 26 to 49 age group, and then rounded out by those aged 50 and older. Depressive disorders are most common in adult women than in adult men. For instance, the 12-month prevalence of a major depressive episode is 8.1% for women, while it is only about 5.1% for men.

Causes & Risk Factors

Causes & Risk Factors of Depression

The development of a depressive disorder can be impacted by a number of causes and risk factors that often work collaboratively. Below are some of the most common influences that can help determine if an individual is going to develop a depressive disorder:

Genetic: Depression has been known to have a strong genetic link. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) states that the risk of developing one of these disorders is 400 percent more likely amongst those whose parents or siblings have it.

Environmental: Adverse childhood events and stress are two of the most common environmental risk factors for the development of a depressive disorder, especially when an individual has a past that includes numerous types of these events or experiences.

Risk Factors:

History of trauma
Personal or family history of substance abuse
Gender (depression is more common in women)
Age (depression is most common amongst 18-29 year-olds)
Loss of parent through separation, death, or divorce
Negative affectivity
Family history of depression

Signs & Symptoms

Signs & Symptoms of Depression

How a depressive disorder will look will be based on a number of things, including the type of depressive disorder that one is struggling with, as well as that individual’s history. Below are some of the most common signs that can show if an individual is battling a depressive disorder:

Behavioral symptoms: