Depression Treatment Essay

591 Words3 Pages

Understanding Depression and Effective Treatment

Most people occasionally feel sad but it is likely to pass rather quickly. On the other hand, someone suffering from depression encounters serious misery that goes on for a more drawn out time - at least two weeks or more. Depression is associated with a low emotional state of mind and aversion to activities that can affect a person’s thought, feelings, behavior and general well being. Depressed people not only feel sad, but also feel anxious, helpless, guilty, irritable and restless for a long period of time. They tend to lose interest in activities that they once found appealing.
Factors that likely contribute to depressive disorder include genetics, chemical, biological, psychological, social and environmental factors. Chronic illnesses, such as cancer, likewise have a tendency to come with depression. Significant life stressors, for example, the loss of employment or the death of a friend or family member can bring about depression. …show more content…

pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy) relate to one another, and b) to determine what factors influence beliefs and preferences (Khalsa et. al., 2011). In this study, 156 patients, both sexes, of different races took part in a random clinical trial (RCT) that compared supportive-expressive psychotherapy to Sertraline/Venlafaxine, and a placebo pill (Khalsa et. al., 2011). The criteria used for selection of participants was an age range between 18 and 70, a primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), and a minimum score of 14 on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (Khalsa et. al., 2011). Patients excluded were those with a background marked by any kind of mental