Depression: A Mental Health Diagnosis
Zara is a thirty-year old woman who has recently lost her father. She spends her days sleeping, not eating and avoiding her children. She has been out of work for longer than the time period given to her, and is going to lose her job if she doesn’t return. Her family have been trying to help her get out of her “funk”, but failed. Zara’s husband demands for a divorce because it is no longer healthy for him or their children to continue to live with her. Within a few months, Zara lives in an empty house where she has locked herself up for days. Zara hasn’t bathe, paid her bills, and dreams of a way to be reconnected with her father sooner than expected.
Many people like Zara suffer from a commonly diagnosed …show more content…
The prevalence of depression in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2011) is an estimated 1 out of 10 adults in 2006-2008. Increased prevalence of depression was found in southeastern states, where chronic conditions associated with depression was observed; such as, obesity and stroke (CDC, 2011). Individuals who tend to suffer from depression are persons with less than a high school education, people who are divorced, individuals who were unemployed or disabled, and persons without health insurance (CDC, 2011). According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (n.d.), women are 70% more likely than men to be depressed in the course of their lifetime. Non-Hispanic blacks are 40% less likely than non-Hispanic whites to experience depression during their lifetime (NIMH, n.d.). A study conducted by Jaremka et al. (2014) explained how depression combined with pain and fatigue is associated to people who are lonely, and who suffered from prior mental conditions like cancer. The mean age of onset for major depressive disorder is thirty years old (Barlow & Durand, 2012). Among the forms of depression, the course varies, but usually some only last as little as two weeks, while more severe cases last several …show more content…
The forms differ based on intensity (chronicity), duration (course), and onset of the depression (Barlow & Durand, 2012). MDD is the most recognized form of depression. The DSM-V criteria describes it as an extreme depressed mood state that last about two weeks and includes cognitive symptoms and disturbed physical functions to the point that slight activities require extreme effort (Barlow & Durand, 2012). An episode can occur once in a person’s lifetime, but reoccurrence by at least two months is often. Dysthymia is a depressed mood state that last for at least two years. Dysthymia is considered more severe, and patients are less responsive to treatment and show slower rate of improvement over time (Barlow & Durand, 2012). Psychotic depression is a combination of severe depression with a form of psychosis, such as delusions or hallucinations (NIMH, n.d.). Postpartum depression is a severe version of the “baby blues” that many women experience after giving birth. This occurs when hormonal, physical, and responsibility changes become too overwhelming (NIMH, n.d.). SAD is an onset of depression during the winter months, when there is less natural sunlight (NIMH, n.d.). Yet, they experience relief during the summer and spring months. Lastly,
Zara is a thirty-year old woman who has recently lost her father. She spends her days sleeping, not eating and avoiding her children. She has been out of work for longer than the time period given to her, and is going to lose her job if she doesn’t return. Her family have been trying to help her get out of her “funk”, but failed. Zara’s husband demands for a divorce because it is no longer healthy for him or their children to continue to live with her. Within a few months, Zara lives in an empty house where she has locked herself up for days. Zara hasn’t bathe, paid her bills, and dreams of a way to be reconnected with her father sooner than expected.
Many people like Zara suffer from a commonly diagnosed …show more content…
The prevalence of depression in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2011) is an estimated 1 out of 10 adults in 2006-2008. Increased prevalence of depression was found in southeastern states, where chronic conditions associated with depression was observed; such as, obesity and stroke (CDC, 2011). Individuals who tend to suffer from depression are persons with less than a high school education, people who are divorced, individuals who were unemployed or disabled, and persons without health insurance (CDC, 2011). According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (n.d.), women are 70% more likely than men to be depressed in the course of their lifetime. Non-Hispanic blacks are 40% less likely than non-Hispanic whites to experience depression during their lifetime (NIMH, n.d.). A study conducted by Jaremka et al. (2014) explained how depression combined with pain and fatigue is associated to people who are lonely, and who suffered from prior mental conditions like cancer. The mean age of onset for major depressive disorder is thirty years old (Barlow & Durand, 2012). Among the forms of depression, the course varies, but usually some only last as little as two weeks, while more severe cases last several …show more content…
The forms differ based on intensity (chronicity), duration (course), and onset of the depression (Barlow & Durand, 2012). MDD is the most recognized form of depression. The DSM-V criteria describes it as an extreme depressed mood state that last about two weeks and includes cognitive symptoms and disturbed physical functions to the point that slight activities require extreme effort (Barlow & Durand, 2012). An episode can occur once in a person’s lifetime, but reoccurrence by at least two months is often. Dysthymia is a depressed mood state that last for at least two years. Dysthymia is considered more severe, and patients are less responsive to treatment and show slower rate of improvement over time (Barlow & Durand, 2012). Psychotic depression is a combination of severe depression with a form of psychosis, such as delusions or hallucinations (NIMH, n.d.). Postpartum depression is a severe version of the “baby blues” that many women experience after giving birth. This occurs when hormonal, physical, and responsibility changes become too overwhelming (NIMH, n.d.). SAD is an onset of depression during the winter months, when there is less natural sunlight (NIMH, n.d.). Yet, they experience relief during the summer and spring months. Lastly,