DEPRESSION

I. Definition
Depression may be described as feeling sad, unhappy, miserable, or collapsed. It is the result
of complex interactions between social, psychological and biological factors. It can cause great
suffering and disrupt work, school and family activities may even lead to suicide. Depression is
a brain condition. The causes are: genetic, environmental, psychological, and biochemical
factors. Depression usually starts between 15 and 30 years and it is more common in women.

II. Signs and sympthons
State of irritable mood or under most of the time.
Loss of pleasure in usual activities.
Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping.
Large in appetite, often with weight gain or loss Rates.
Fatigue and lack of energy.
Feelings of worthlessness, self-loathing and guilt.
Difficulty concentrating.
Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.
Recurring thoughts of death or suicide.

III. Diagnosis
The doctor will find out how severe your depression (mild, moderate or severe) is and look for
the cause through: The clinical history, mental health interview and physical examination.
There are questions on mood and symptoms, stressors in life, suicidal ideas, or alcohol and
drugs, or any medication you are currently taking.
You must collect and organize the information, the physician must know the triad expression of
depression: somatic, emotional and mental. In addition, patients expressed through the
presentation, the way they walk and talk, and look and dress. If it exist a risk of suicide,
hospitalization may be needed for treatment.

IV. Treatment
Pharmacological treatments.
They have used antidepressants: monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic and
antidepressants and modern acting by increasing the availability of key neurotransmitters
involved in depression.
Cognitive behavioral treatments
- Classic Cognitive behavioral treatment
Cognitive therapy asserts that emotional disorders arise from irrational thoughts. If the thoughts
are behind a behavior and make it logical and rational, psychological problem will be solved
when they discuss that. There is a systematic distortion in information processing, in this way an
emotional disturbance depends on the potential of individuals to negatively perceive the
environment and events around them.
- The behavioral activation
The idea of depression from a behavioral activation is that the person has stopped receiving
reinforcements from their environment (fear of rejection or to failure) and the lack of
reinforcements is what causes depression. Therefore, behavioral activation is a therapeutic
process that propose to make observable the patients behaviors that are likely to lead to an
environment that will strengthen and this way produce corresponding improvements in thoughts,
mood, and especially as life.
- Self-control therapy for depression Rhem
People with depression pay more attention to the immediate consequences of their behavior,
ignoring the consequences to more positive long-term (they are demanding of themselves and
fail to achieve their goals, are self-enforcing infrequently and they self-punishment very
frequently). The treatment is to provide patients in self-management skills to advance important
goals and get more involved in behaviors that are reinforcing.
- The problem-solving therapy for depression
- The acceptance and commitment therapy and behavioral activation

V. Prevention
- The healthy lifestyle habits can help prevent depression and reduce the chances of it
happening again.
- School-based programs to prevent child abuse or programs to improve cognitive, social and
problem solving skills of children and adolescents.
- Interventions for parents of children with behavior problems may reduce depressive symptoms
of parents and improve outcomes for their children. Exercise programs for the elderly are also
effective in preventing depression.

VI. Test (Last Discoveries)
Patients were assigned to do to receive one of three treatment groups; 1) Nefazodone, an
antidepressant. 2) The analysis system of psychotherapy cognitive behavior. 3) And
Nefazodone CBASP.
The combination was superior in efficacy than either treatment alone. Related by a history of
childhood trauma (sexual, emotional, or physical abuse or neglect) with their own unique
genetic risk factors, functional brain imaging and neuroendocrine alterations and treatment
response.
No-pharmacological somatic treatments for depression treatment.
Stimulation of the vagus nerve (previously approved for the treatment of drug-resistant
epilepsy treatment).
There is an evidence of the efficacy of repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation in treatment
of depression. Based in studies of brain imaging.