Depression and its treatment
Most of us feel sad or 'down' or 'low' sometimes, but usually this doesn't seriously affect our lives for long, and the feeling goes away after a while and we 'cheer up'. However, for some people this feeling persists, affecting many aspects of their lives (e.g. sleep, appetite, concentration, etc.) and this can impact on their relationships with family, friends and work-colleagues. If depression becomes overwhelming, many people seek help - either medications through their GP, counselling or psychotherapy, or complimentary therapies. However, many people with depression may not seek treatment because they don’t recognise what it is or because of a fear of stigma.
Key facts
- Depression is common and affects twice as many women as men, affecting one in five women at some point in her life.
- Depression can occur throughout adult life and is increasingly being recognised in children.
- In a global burden of disease survey, it was the fourth most prevalent cause of disability; greater than cardiovascular disease like heart attacks and strokes.
- Gender, social and familial factors increase the risk of depression, but little is known about how these influences work in the brain.
- Newer antidepressant treatments still act in the same pharmacological (chemical) way as those discovered 50 years ago but what they actually do in the brain to relieve depression is still unknown.
- Only 50-70% of new episodes of depression respond to drug-treatment and non-responsive depression causes great personal suffering and cost to society.
