Diagnosis And Diagnosis Of Depression

Diagnosis- Depression is a widespread illness that carries a major personal and public health burden (Abel, 2016). To diagnose depression the patient must have at least five symptoms present for two consecutive weeks, and must also have a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in their everyday activities. Other symptoms that the patient may exhibit include, having a depressed mood most of the day, and little or no interest in activities. The sudden overwhelming feeling of sadness and worthlessness can make a once enjoyable activity a chore. More symptoms include weight loss or weight gain without having gone on a diet, sleeping too little or too much, and slow movement in their everyday life that has been observed by others. Being …show more content…
Higher levels of dysfunctional attitudes, and lower levels of self compassion can also aid in causes of depression in individuals. However the true nature and cause of depression is unknown (Buskens, 2015). Cultural variables including race and gender can also be the reason why individuals get depression. Women are twice as likely than men to be diagnosed with depression which could be because women are more likely to experience fluctuating hormone levels, which is especially the case after giving birth and during menopause. This may also be the case because women are more likely to seek …show more content…
Medications such as antidepressants work very well for people whose depression is caused because of a biological factor such as chemical imbalances in the brain. Talk therapies also work very well to help the patient cope with their sad thoughts and feelings, and to maybe find the cause of the sadness they feel. The treatment preference of patients can vary based on how their depression came to be. For example a patient who prefers psychotherapies as opposed to medications might have their depression caused by environmental factors like a childhood trauma because there are some psychotherapies that target such problems. Patients with non-biological factors for their depression may view the therapeutic route as more effective (Khalsa,