Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Radwan Banimustafa MD
What is Depression?
Depression is an illness that involves the
body, mood and thoughts
It impacts the way a person functions
socially, at work, and in relationships.
It is more than feeling blue, down in the
dumps or sad about a particular issue or
situation.
It is a medical condition that requires
diagnosis and treatment
Snap
Causes of Depression
Depression can be caused by one or more of
the following:
Imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain
Triggered by stress, medication or other
medical problems
Certain personality factors or genetic traits
Symptoms of Depression
FIVE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS:
Feelings of sadness, depressed mood and/or
irritability
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
Changes in weight or appetite
Changes in sleep pattern-not enough or too
much
Symptoms of Depression
Feelings of guilt, hopelessness or
worthlessness
Inability to concentrate, remember things or
make decisions
Constant fatigue or loss of energy
Restlessness or decreased activity
Recurrent thoughts of suicide or death
Electroconvulsive Therapy
(ECT)
Depression in women
Women are at a much greater increased
risk of Depression:
At times of hormone swings-premenstrual
3%-8% of women have Premenstrual Dysphoric
Disorder during reproductive years
Postpartum period
15-20% of women have depression after delivery
Menopause
Going into puberty
Following a miscarriage (within one month)
Postpartum Depression
15% of women report depression within
three months of delivery
Women with a prior history of depression
are at greater risk
Postpartum blues or baby blues is
normal
mild feeling of being down, tearful
lasts for only a day or so
Postpartum Psychosis
A complication of either a Postpartum
Depression or Bipolar disorder that has a
sudden onset and is a psychiatric emergency
Characterized by hallucinations or delusional
beliefs about the infant.
The infant and mother must be protected and
treated immediately!
Increased risk in subsequent pregnancies
Those persons with Addictions If the depression is treated, the addiction can be
treated also.