Description Of Depression Research Articles

Review of Factors Associated with Depression among Pregnant Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose: This purpose of the study was to investigate the factors both risk and protective associated with depression among pregnant women during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: A literature search was conducted on July 2022, through PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, CiNii, and the Japan Medical Abstract Society databases, with the keywords “COVID-19”, “pregnant women”, and “depression”. The titles/abstracts were screened based on three selection criteria: 1) inclusion of pregnant women; 2) description of depression; and 3) description of the factors associated with depression among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Of the 213 articles extracted, 104 were excluded owing to duplication, and 14 were excluded because they comprised other article types, including reviews and commentaries. Finally, 40 were excluded by title, abstract, and full-text screening. Among the 45 articles for a total of 59,329 pregnant women that met the inclusion criteria, the risk factors were “distress from COVID-19-related experiences”, “reduced/low income”, “unemployment”, “anxiety”, “history of mental illness”, “lack of social support”, and “reduced/no exercise”. The protective factors “greater/increased social support”, “higher education level”, “higher resilience”, and “healthy lifestyle behaviors” were much less frequently reported than risk factors, and none were reported to be relevant for Japanese pregnant women. Conclusion: The findings indicate that preventive interventions should begin during pregnancy with a focus on these risk factors. In addition, the protective factors need to be strengthened. Further research is required to identify the protective factors associated with depression among Japanese pregnant women.

Review of the Depression Rate among Pregnant Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose: To determine the incidence of depression among pregnant women during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: A literature search was conducted on July 2022 through PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, CiNii, and the Japan Medical Abstract Society using the keywords “COVID-19”, “Pregnant Women” and “Depression”. The titles/abstracts were screened based on three selection criteria: 1) inclusion of pregnant women; 2) description of depression; 3) description of COVID-19. Results: Of the 213 articles that were extracted, 104 were excluded owing to duplication and 14 were excluded because they comprised other article types, including reviews and commentaries. Finally, 49 were excluded by title, abstract, and full-text screening. Among the 46 articles that met the inclusion criteria, 13 articles (28.3%) were from China, 8 (17.4%) were from Turkey, 4 (8.7%) were from the United States, and 3 (6.5%) were from Japan. The most common scales used to measure depression were the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) used in 18 articles (39.1%), followed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) used in 11 articles (23.9%). Furthermore, 46 sources reported a suspected depression rate of 30.0% (20,338/67,860 pregnant women). The rate of depression was 15.1% - 33.5% using EPDS ≥ 9 in three articles and 12.0% - 43.2% using EPDS ≥ 13 in nine articles. The five articles using PHQ-9 ≥ 5 reported 25.8% - 48.7%, and seven articles reported 5.3% - 59.2% using PHQ-9 ≥ 10. Conclusion: Depression was a concern for one out of every three to four pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests that depression among pregnant women during COVID-19 might have worsened, highlighting the need for mental health support for them.

Description of depression in people with epilepsy in Aceh

Background: Depression is the most common comorbid in people with epilepsy (PWE). Detection of depression in PWE is not a routine examination at a neurology clinic because it takes a long time. The education of Acehnese people regarding epilepsy is still limited, leading to discrimination and stigma in society. It is not easy to carry out examinations, and the diagnosis is often overlooked. The objective of this study was to screen and to describe the characteristics of depression in PWE in Aceh.Method: This study was a descriptive observational study with the total respondents involved 41 PWEs. Detection of depression in PWE was conducted using the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E), a valid, reliable, shorter and more straightforward instrument test. The sample was determinate using the probability sampling method with a simple random sampling technique.Results: Our results found that 39% of respondents experienced depression, with the most NDDI-E scores ranged between 11-15, with a percentage of 41.5%. Out of total, 57.1% of the depression occurred in women and those who aged between 18-25 years old were more frequent to experience depression. Depression was more frequent among those who had no formal education (66.7%).Conclusion: Depression in PWE in Aceh tends to occur in women, those with no education and those who worked as labor or farmer.

The Views of Non-psychiatric Medical Specialists About People with Schizophrenia and Depression.

This study explored the views of non-psychiatric medical specialists about people with schizophrenia and depression and examined whether specialists' approach to these clients, and their perception of dangerousness and social distance, differed by disorder. Non-psychiatric medical specialists working in community centers in Italy read either a schizophrenia or depression description and then completed a questionnaire on their views about people with that disorder. The schizophrenia-group (N = 114) was more sure than the depression-group (N = 97) that the patients should be approached differently in outpatient specialized clinics like those where the respondents worked; are incapable of caring for their own health; and are kept at distance by others. Perceived dangerousness did not significantly differ between the two groups. These findings highlight the potential effects of attitudes on medical practice and outline the need to educate non-psychiatric medical specialists on stigma as a strategy to reduce health discrepancies, particularly toward people diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Depression in the light of the Transactional Analysis theory – social media Big Data analysis

The analysis of epidemiological studies shows an increase in the number of people suffering from depression. One should also take into account those on the brink of depression and those who, for various reasons, will never be diagnosed but are ill. Depression has a detrimental effect on patients’ quality of life and poses a threat to one’s health. Additionally, it is a serious social issue that is linked with psychological consequences for a given patient’s environment and growing costs of depression treatment. The description of depression is complex and regards psycho-social factors. There are many models of depression and ways of dealing with it. The growth of knowledge about depression might contribute to early diagnosing and, in particular situations, it might prevent the illness. The model of depression presented in the theory of transactional analysis is useful in describing and understanding issues concerning depression. The specific language of transactional analysis is useful in the educational process, it also allows for analysing the phenomenon by identifying particular behaviour and utterances. This language can be used for the analysis of social media which have been reflecting real-life problems for some time.

Review of the relationship between depression and life satisfaction among university students

Depression is one of the most commonly observed medical conditions. Studies about the depression and life satisfaction is increasing day by day. Untreated depression may lead to unexpected earlier deaths and has negative impacts on the patient’s general health conditions. On the other hand with the proper treatment, life quality could be enhanced. Moreover life satisfaction level is also seen as an important factor which is related with life quality and which is usually coordinated together with the depression. There are different types and explanations of depression. In this study, we tried to explain the prevalence, diagnosis criterias, risk factors, etiology and description of depression. In addition to this, relationship between depression and life satisfaction is tried to be explained. Purpose of this review study is to explain depression, it’s risk factors and the importance of life satisfaction.

Descriptions of depression and depression treatment in older Hispanic immigrants in a geriatric collaborative care program

ABSTRACTObjectives: To explore experiences with depression and depression treatment among older Hispanic immigrants participating in a collaborative care program of psychotherapy and antidepressant medication.Method: Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 older Spanish-speaking Hispanic immigrants with major depression who participated in a collaborative care program within a public sector specialty geriatric clinic in Los Angeles, CA.Results: Findings revealed that participants used various idioms to describe their experiences with depression, and that depression had a strong impact on functioning. Other findings indicated that depression was caused by various psychosocial problems, antidepressants were helpful in reducing depression, and that bilingual psychotherapists provided a welcoming and safe environment to express emotions and find solutions to problems.Conclusion: Results revealed participants’ experiences with depression and the impact of participating in a collaborative care intervention for depression. Findings from this project should be used to inform future geriatric interventions for older Hispanic immigrants in the USA.

A Feminist Phenomenological Description of Depression in Low-income South African Women

A Feminist Phenomenological Description of Depression in Low-income South African Women

EPA-0576 - Depression at the elderly without family support at nursing home in pristina

I. Introduction Depression is more present among psychiatric disorders in the world, global trends is known that cause high levels of human and social disability. A depression for elderly is not easy, especially to the elderly that are in institutional care without family support. II. Objectives Measuring level of depression, recognition of characteristics for depression and relation with psychotic symptoms in elderly at the nursing home. III. Aims Presentation and description of depression in elderly, without family support at the Nursing Home for Elders in Pristina. III. Methodology It is a quantitative study. Nursing home residents are assesed with the Beck questionnaire for depression and anxiety, was clinically interviewed and also with the Geriatric Depression scale. Data were analyzed with SPSS 21 and Microsoft Excel 2007. IV. Results Number of resident = 85 samples. Residents above 65 years old (the oldest at age of 84). 74 residents have had psychiatric difficulties; in 15 residents were identified psychotic symptoms. A level of depression was found in all cases, the presence of depression with Geriatric scale is confirmed in 83% of cases. Various findings are evident in correlation with socio-demographic data's, gender, somatic diseases, neurological problems. This shows the low level of their involvement in daily activities and rehabilitation. V. Conclusions Institutional, social and mental health care is essential for the category of elderly residents in nursing home. High levels of depression require appropriate therapeutic and psychotherapeutic approach in order to facilitate the quality of their lives.

Social Change and Increasing of Bipolar Disorders: An Evolutionary Model

The objective of this paper is to see if behaviours defined as pathological and maladjusted in certain contexts may produce adaptive effects in other contexts, especially if they occur in attenuated form. Interactions between environment and behaviour are studied from an evolutionary standpoint in an attempt to understand how new attitudes emerge in an evolving context. Narrative review. Following an historical examination of how the description of depression in Western society has changed, we examine a series of studies performed in areas where great changes have taken place as well as research on emigration from Sardinia in the 1960s and 70s and immigration to Sardinia in the 1990s. If we postulate that mood disorders are on the increase and that the epidemic began in the 17th century with the "English malady", we must suppose that at least the "light" forms have an adaptive advantage, otherwise the expansion of the disorder would have been self-limiting. "Compulsive hyper-responsabilization", as well as explorative behaviours, may represent a base for adaptation in certain conditions of social change. The social emphasis in individualism and responsibility may have changed not only the frequency, but also the phenomenology of mood disorders particularly the increases in bipolar disorders. From the sociobiological standpoint the conditions that may favour "subthreshold" bipolar or depressive features are to be considered in relation to the contextual role of gender and the different risks of the two disorders in males and females.

Social Change and Increasing of Bipolar Disorders: An Evolutionary Model

Introduction: The objective of this paper is to see if behaviours defined as pathological and maladjusted in certain contexts may produce adaptive effects in other contexts, especially if they occur in attenuated form. Interactions between environment and behaviour are studied from an evolutionary standpoint in an attempt to understand how new attitudes emerge in an evolving context.Methodology: Narrative review. Following an historical examination of how the description of depression in Western society has changed, we examine a series of studies performed in areas where great changes have taken place as well as research on emigration from Sardinia in the 1960s and 70s and immigration to Sardinia in the 1990s.Results and conclusions: If we postulate that mood disorders are on the increase and that the epidemic began in the 17th century with the "English malady", we must suppose that at least the "light" forms have an adaptive advantage, otherwise the expansion of the disorder would have been self-limiting. "Compulsive hyper-responsabilization”, as well as explorative behaviours, may represent a base for adaptation in certain conditions of social change. The social emphasis in individualism and responsibility may have changed not only the frequency, but also the phenomenology of mood disorders particularly the increases in bipolar disorders. From the sociobiological standpoint the conditions that may favour "subthreshold" bipolar or depressive features are to be considered in relation to the contextual role of gender and the different risks of the two disorders in males and females.

Depression in Patients with Mastocytosis: Prevalence, Features and Effects of Masitinib Therapy

Depression in patients with mastocytosis is often reported but its prevalence and characteristics are not precisely described. In addition, the impact of therapies targeting mast cells proliferation, differentiation and degranulation on psychic symptoms of depression have never been investigated. Our objective was to determine the prevalence and to describe features of depression in a large cohort of mastocytosis patients (n = 288) and to investigate the therapeutic impact of the protein kinase inhibitor masitinib in depression symptoms. The description of depression was based on the analysis of a database with Hamilton scores using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Efficacy of masitinib therapy was evaluated using non parametric Wilcoxon test for paired data within a three months period (n = 35). Our results show that patients with indolent mastocytosis present an elevated prevalence of depression (64%). Depression was moderate in 56% but severe in 8% of cases. Core symptoms (such as psychic anxiety, depressed mood, work and interests) characterized depression in mastocytosis patients. Masitinib therapy was associated with significant improvement (67% of the cases) of overall depression, with 75% of recovery cases. Global Quality of Life slightly improved after masitinib therapy and did not predicted depression improvement. In conclusion, depression is very frequent in mastocytosis patients and masitinib therapy is associated with the reduction its psychic experiences. We conclude that depression in mastocytosis may originate from processes related to mast cells activation. Masitinib could therefore be a useful treatment for mastocytosis patients with depression and anxiety symptoms.

Certified nursing assistants' explanatory models of nursing home resident depression.

In this study, the authors describe certified nursing assistants' (CNA) Explanatory Models (EMs) of depression and aspects of their EMs that may contribute to the underdetection of depression in nursing homes. Interviews with 18 CNAs working in two nursing homes are guided by Kleinman's Explanatory Models of Illness framework. Interview data are content analyzed and CNAs' descriptions of depression are compared to the MDS 2.0 Mood Screening criteria and to the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for depression. The result is that the CNAs are unsure about the duration and normalcy of depression in residents. Although they have no formal training, CNAs feel responsible for observing for signs of depression and describe verbal and nonverbal ways of interacting when providing emotional care to residents. CNAs hold potential to improve the detection of depression and contribute to the emotional care of residents. Attention to staff knowledge deficits and facility barriers may enhance this potential.

Life Beyond Depression: The Experience of Gays and Lesbians Who Self-Identify as Depressed

The purpose of this research was to compare differences in the experiences of gay men and lesbian women who describe experiences of depression or depressed mood. The 2 main research questions were how do descriptions of depression and daily life differ between gay males and lesbian females. To this end, Weblogs containing narratives of 19 gay men and 19 lesbian women were coded, analyzed, and compared using qualitative content analysis methods. Differences in described sources of depression and responses to depression, but not features of depression were found. Women and men also differed with respect to their main priorities; their descriptions of social interactions, social issues, reflections, and emotions; and a number of other daily life experiences. Findings were discussed with respect to implications for treatment and prevention of depression among sexual minorities.

Common-Sense Descriptions of Depression as Social Representations

Major depression is such a prevalent illness worldwide that practically everyone has either direct or indirect experience of it. It is important, then, from both practical and theoretical points of view, to examine this particular experience and related conceptions. Drawing on the theory of social representations, this research set out to examine the ways in which people define depression in terms of the symptoms they attribute to people they know personally and consider to suffer from depression. A group of adult participants (n = 117) were instructed to think of an individual whom they knew personally and considered to suffer from depression, to indicate the age and gender of the person, and to describe his/her symptoms. A great majority of the female participants thought of a female, while the male participants thought of male and female target persons quite evenly. The symptoms attributed to depression with fair unanimity included fatigue and decreased capacity to work, to concentrate, to make decisions and to take part in hobbies. The descriptions of the depressive person were quite unanimously distinguished from the signal symptoms attaching to schizophrenia. The descriptions varied according to the characteristics of the target individuals, and their gender and age in particular, rather than the characteristics of the participants. People have perceptive personal experiences of depression, which are guided by socially shared interpretative frameworks.

Quetiapine-Associated Depression in a Patient With Schizophrenia

Depression has been reported as a side effect of a wide variety of drugs in clinical medicine. Neuroleptics may cause depression in persons with or without any past history of psychiatric illness. Clinically, these drug-induced depressions may go unnoticed and thus create therapeutic problems. The authors present a case of quetiapine-associated depression in a patient being treated for schizophrenia. To the best of our knowledge it is the first description of depression associated with quetiapine treatment. This case report suggests that atypical antipsychotics may be a cause of depression. This is noteworthy because these medications have been found in the past to have an antidepressant action. Further data based on controlled studies are needed.

Physicians' constructions of depression: inside/outside the boundaries of medicalization.

A qualitative study explored primary care physicians' experiences of diagnosing and treating depression. Twenty physicians participated in semi-structured interviews. Interview questions asked physicians to consider a range of topics such as the etiology of depression, the diagnostic process and treatment of depression. Transcripts were analyzed discursively with a view to exploring the ways in which physicians construct depression. In this article, physicians' constructions of depression are examined through exploration of their descriptions of this condition, as well as their recognition of the social context of depression. Based on this analysis, it was concluded that physicians' medicalized understandings of depression conflict with recognition of the social context of depression. The result of this conflict is dissonant descriptions of depression. One implication of this research is that physicians' training would benefit from the integration of multidisciplinary perspectives on depression, which would better reflect physicians' experiences in routine practice situations.

Beyond Active Description of Depression

Beyond Active Description of Depression

A critical review of internet information about depression.

The source and quality of information about depression available on the Internet were examined. Online searches using the phrase "depression and treatment" were conducted on ten major Internet search engines. The first 20 sites generated by each engine were examined. The Web sites and the individual Web pages they contained were categorized by source, target audience, and affiliation with either a for-profit or a not-for-profit organization. Each site was rated by whether it mentioned the nine symptoms and five major criteria of a major depressive episode and whether it made any of three basic treatment recommendations. Ratings were compared to determine whether treatment differences between the sites could be attributed to the site's source. The search generated a total of 178 active sites. Overall, the quality of information was poor. Only half of the sites mentioned any DSM-IV diagnostic symptom or criteria in their descriptions of depression, and only a quarter listed 11 to 14 symptoms or criteria. Almost half of the sites made no mention of medications, psychotherapy, or professional consultation as suggested treatments for depression. Almost two-thirds of the pages were found on for-profit sites. Documents from these sites scored lower on diagnostic accuracy and treatment recommendations than those from not-for-profit sites. The quality of information on the Internet produced by the search was quite low. For-profit Web sites appeared much more frequently than not-for-profit sites among the first 20 sites generated by each search engine, and they contained poorer information.

Maimonides, 1135–1204

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Images in PsychiatryFull AccessMaimonides, 1135–1204Jack M. Gorman, M.D.Jack M. GormanSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:1 Mar 2001https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.158.3.376AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, known to Jews as Rambam and to the world as Maimonides, became the most famous physician of the medieval world. Born in 1135 in Cordoba, Spain, his 14-volume magnum opus, Mishneh Torah, stands as perhaps the greatest explication of Talmudic law and wisdom ever written and is still a centerpiece of Jewish scholarship. Maimonides is also credited with one of the earliest medieval revivals of Aristotelean philosophy.It is not clear how or from whom Maimonides obtained his medical training, although he modeled himself in medicine after the writings of Hippocrates, Galen, and Aristotle. Maimonides did not seriously practice medicine as an occupation until after the tragic death at sea of his beloved younger brother, David, in approximately 1170. Maimonides plunged into what undoubtedly was a major depression. Abraham Heschel quotes Maimonides’ description of depression:When a man with a powerful frame, a sonorous voice, and a radiant complexion hears sudden news that greatly afflicts him, one can see his face turning pale, the glow dimming, the body hunching, the voice faltering, and when he tries with all his might to raise his voice, he is unable to do so, his strength is weakened. Indeed, he often trembles with feebleness, his pulse slows down, his eyes move back in their sockets. His eyelids grow so heavy that he cannot move them, his body becomes cold, and his appetite vanishes. (1, pp. 127–128)From this melancholic depression came a profound conviction of the connection between mind and body and the necessity to minister to the “soul” in order to maintain physical health.Maimonides wrote 10 major treatises on medicine. The Regimen of Health, written in 1198 for the eldest son of Saladin the Great, a man who apparently also suffered bouts of depression, is, according to Fred Rosner, “perhaps…the first description of psychosomatic medicine. He indicates that the physical well-being of a person is dependent on his mental well-being, and vice versa” (2, p. 10).Maimonides put the treatment of mental illness on equal footing as that of physical illness, insisting, for example, that the physician provide immediate psychiatric care following a suicide attempt. He ruled that fear and anxiety needed to be assessed before invasive medical procedures are considered. He recommended a kind of exposure therapy to remedy some aspects of the “sick soul” and explained that treatments of mental anguish and maladaptive behavior, such as melancholy or excessive anger, should only be undertaken by sages specifically trained to deal with such ailments.Maimonides believed passionately that doctors are only instruments of God’s will. Yet he demanded that medical practice be guided by careful empirical observation. In an era of not infrequent hostility between science and religion, it is refreshing to read the works of a great scholar and physician who seamlessly combined medicine and religion into daily life.Address reprint requests to Dr. Gorman, Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Dr., New York, NY 10032. Image courtesy of the New York Academy of Medicine. Maimonides