Depressive Disorders: A Case Study

Words: 1183
Pages: 5
Open Document
Depressive disorders affects 18.8 million people yearly in the United States, and include major depression, dysthymia a less severe longer-lasting form of depression, and bipolar disorders manic-depressive illness. Unipolar major depression affects more than 50 million people worldwide and is expected to be the second leading cause of premature death and disability by 2020, based on a measure called disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). DALYs measure years of healthy life lost to premature death and disability. In 1998, unipolar major depression was the third leading cause of premature death and disability in Los Angeles County based on DALYs.
Depressive disorders have major effects on individuals, families, and society. They impair social …show more content…
In the findings of the adult population in Los Angeles County, 9% or an estimated 623,000 persons have been diagnosed with a depressive disorder. The percentage of adults diagnosed with a depressive disorder was higher among women (11%) than men (7%) and the percentage of adults diagnosed with a depressive disorder was highest in middle-aged adults: 40 to 49 years of age (11%) and 50 to 59 years of age (13%). The prevalence of diagnosed depressive disorders was highest in Whites (12%), followed by African-Americans (9%), Latinos (7%), and Asians/Pacific Islanders (4%11). The percentage of adults diagnosed with a depressive disorder did not vary significantly by household income. The percentage of adults diagnosed with a depressive disorder was higher among those unemployed (13%) or not in the workforce (12%) than among employed adults (7%). The percentage of adults diagnosed with a depressive disorder was higher among those who were widowed (12%), divorced (15%), separated (12%), or never married (10%) than those who were married (6%) or not married but living together …show more content…
Also to facilitate linkage with mental health and social support services when shown. Medications and psychological counseling are very effective for most people with depression. A primary care doctor or psychiatrist can prescribe medications to relieve symptoms. However, many people with depression also benefit from seeing a psychologist or other mental health professional. If someone has severe depression, they may need a hospital stay, or may need to participate in an outpatient treatment program until their symptoms improve. Not everyone with depression has access to a doctor, medicine or psychiatrist and will suffer from this disease in silence. I believe mental health is important at every stage of life. Many prevention programs put into action across the lifespan have provided evidence on the reduction of elevated levels of depressive
Show More

Related Documents: Depressive Disorders: A Case Study

Diana Miller Border Personality Disorder Analysis

diagnosing them can be challenging, especially when diagnostic features begin to overlap with other disorders and symptoms are similar. The need for a proper assessment is crucial for patients and their families who are seeking help. In Diana’s case she seems to be having symptoms related to bipolar II disorder which would explain her misdiagnosis of Major depressive Disorder (MDD) and Border Personality Disorder (BPD). The author pays close attention to Diana’s symptoms and determines the best potential…

Words 1371 - Pages 6

Perimenopausal Transition

night sweats, which can be grouped together under the title of vasomotor symptoms (VMS). Other aspects of menopause prove to be difficult to endure, like depression and depressive symptoms. The perimenopausal period, plagued by fluctuating hormones, can be a time when middle-age women are more susceptible to depression and depressive symptoms. Menopause is a change in a woman’s body most often occurring in middle adulthood. This change is not like a switch…

Words 1739 - Pages 7

Bipolar Disorder Research Paper

Bipolar Disorder What Causes Bipolar Disorder? There is no single cause for bipolar disorder. Indeed, like all psychological disorders, bipolar disorder is a complex condition with multiple contributing factors, including: Genetic: Bipolar disorder tends to run in families, so researchers believe there is a genetic predisposition for the disorder. Scientists also are exploring the presence of abnormalities on specific genes. Biological: Researchers believe that some neurotransmitters, including…

Words 2744 - Pages 11

Essay on Abnormal Psychology And Therapy 1 Angelic Added

Gilliams Psychology/300 General psychology April 9, 2015 Jennifer Murphy, Facilitator University of phoenix Abstract: In this paper, we identify the types of Abnormal psychologies and therapy. Abnormal psychology is the study of disorders that effect people mentally and physically causing obsessive and disruption patterns and habits to a persons well being and life style. The difference between normal psychology and abnormal psychology is that abnormal psychology deals with the…

Words 1105 - Pages 5

Dealing With Mental Issues: Bipolar Disorder

Professor Singh ENC 1101 11/05/2013 Dealing with mental issues: Bipolar Disorder Living a normal life means being able to hold an normal job, go to school and even having functional relationships with others and live by themselves. However, with all of the options available with medication and therapy now, why wouldn’t people who suffer from bipolar disorder be able to live a (normal) life? Even after they start medication and therapy, there are often still problems. When someone who is…

Words 1419 - Pages 6

Bipolar Disorder and Mood Swings Essay

Bipolar Disorder HCA/240 December 7th, 2014 Bruce Gould Deanndra Johnson History shows that evidence exist that this mental disorder existed as far back as second century A. D. in ancient Turkey. Aretaeus a physician of Cappodociam talked about individuals who experienced depressive and manic episodes at the same time. It took another 1000 years before there was more documentation concerning this disorder. This was found in the writings of a British author named Richard Burton. He…

Words 1477 - Pages 6

Psychological Disorders Essay

Psychological Disorder: Bi-polar disorder Erin Pulse Psy 450 December 17, 2012 Carlos Guzman, Ph.D. Psychological Disorder: Bi-polar disorder Everyday someone has to deal with a mental disorder and sometimes it is not easy. Bi-polar disorder is one of those mental illnesses that are extremely hard to deal with both as a person and as a medical professional. Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder (historically known as manic-depressive disorder) is a psychiatric diagnosis for…

Words 938 - Pages 4

Bipolar Disorder Essay

“Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks” (National Institute of Mental Health). Bipolar disorder symptoms vary from person to person. A person suffering from bipolar disorder may experience relationship problems, poor school and work performance, and even suicide thoughts or attempts. Currently there are four types of bipolar disorder. I’m focusing…

Words 848 - Pages 4

week 4 dq questions Essay

Week 3 Case study PSY/410 October 15, 2013 Week 3 Case study Anna O was one of the few people that were diagnosed with multiple personality disorder (MPD). Individuals who resemble this personality disorder type have an impoverished and or unstable self-structure and difficulty maintaining enduring and fulfilling intimate relationships, self-concept in easily disrupted under stress, and often associated with the experience of a lack of identity or chronic feeling of emptiness (Skodol,…

Words 1755 - Pages 8

Dealing With John Brown's Response To Health Care

of mood disorder. But narrowing down Mr. Brown’s specific disorder would take about 2 or 3 more session to fully understand what Mr. Brown was feeling and suffering. So Mr. Brown was schedule for 3 sessions in a two-week time frame. He would express all the symptoms he said to his physician and he would make it clear to his psychologist that he had no real interest in wanting to leave his house to assist his sessions. On her fourth visit Mr. Brown was diagnosed with a depressive disorder. And by…

Words 1372 - Pages 6