The Elderly: Insomnia, Depression, and Suicide Risk. Part 2
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Disorders Tags: Depression, Elderly, Insomnia, Pharmacotherapy, Suicide
Depression, Morbidity, and Suicide Risk
Why is it so important to assess the risk for depression in a senior with insomnia who may not feel comfortable with the subject or who feels stigmatized by self-reporting a depressed mood? As mentioned earlier, a depressive disorder is among the most common causes for sleep disturbances in the elderly. Furthermore, depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders among the elderly, with ... Read More
The Elderly: Insomnia, Depression, and Suicide Risk. Part 1
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Disorders Tags: Depression, Elderly, Insomnia, Pharmacotherapy, Suicide
The notion that aging is a multifactorial process is commonly accepted. Many of the age-related changes that occur in a senior's nervous system have an impact on the function of sleep. In the elderly, sleeping difficulties often occur in conjunction with depression. Because depression raises the risk of suicide in this population, it is important for pharmacists to question their elderly patients about sleeping difficulties.
Sleep Difficulties Increase With Aging
Complaints ... Read More
Prozac Lessens Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Symptoms
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Prozac (Fluoxetine) Tags: PMS, Women
Drug lessens severity of premenstrual dysphoria.
Intermittent dosages of fluoxetine (Prozac/Lilly) given during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle may help women suffering from PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), studies suggest. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe variant of premenstrual syndrome, affects 3%-5% of women during their reproductive years, causing depression, anxiety, tension, lability, and irritability. A review of 12 clinical trials led researchers to conclude that, at 20 mg/day, fluoxetine reduces ... Read More
Seniors Downplay Clinical Depression
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Depression Tags: Elderly, Mental Disorder
Attitudes of Older Americans Toward Depression
Percent of Americans 65 years or older
Know Little
68%
View as Health Problem
38%
Seek Professional Help
38%
Only 38% see depression as a health problem.
Depression is still mostly a “hidden” disease, as cancer used to be. In spite of more publicity about the condition in the past few years, and more and better drug therapies, only 38% of Americans age 65 and older believe that clinical depression (depression that ... Read More
5 Mental Disorders
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Disorders Tags: Bipolar disorder, Depression, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Panic, Schizophrenia
Many people need to be encouraged to seek help.
Five leading mental disorders affect 10 million Americans, but many people, especially those suffering from depression and panic disorder, do not seek help. It is estimated that during any one year, almost 18 million American adults will suffer from a depressive illness. Among people 65 years of age and older, an estimated 3% suffer from clinical depression.
Five Major Disorders
There are five major ... Read More
Antidepressants Are Often Overprescribed for Insomnia
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Antidepressants Tags: Insomnia
Treatment of insomnia is largely inadequate, according to sleep researchers. More than 30% of adults in industrialized countries suffer from occasional insomnia; another 12% have chronic insomnia. Some primary care physicians are prescribing sedating antidepressants or antihistamines to these patients. Guidelines recommend use of these agents for a maximum of 14 weeks, but some patients are prescribed medications for at least a year, according to the director of the sleep ... Read More
Work May Trigger Anxiety in Women
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Disorders Tags: Anxiety, Depression, Women
Job stress found to cause a variety of mental ailments.
Being overworked and underchallenged are job-related stress issues that for women may lead to depression, anxiety and feelings of hostility, according to a study of a group of women employed by a large corporation in North Carolina. Women who had more manageable workloads and a greater sense of control over their jobs were less depressed or anxious. According to the researchers, ... Read More
Depression in the Elderly
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Depression Tags: Depressive disorders, Elderly
Depression in late life is a treatable disorder and is not a part of the normal aging process, points out Ira R. Katz, M.D., a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. Primary-care doctors, however, often overlook or misdiagnose depression in older people (those over age 75), said Dr. Katz. Of those older persons who are depressed, only one in six will be properly diagnosed and treated. ... Read More
Insight Into Insomnia. Part 2. Pharmacotherapy
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Disorders Tags: Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, Medications
Pharmacotherapy
Drug therapy can be effective for short-term alleviation of insomnia but may not be sufficient for long-term management of chronic insomnia. Behavioral therapy, on the other hand, yields the most durable improvements in sleep patterns.
Benzodiazepines: Benzodiazepines are frequently prescribed to treat insomnia. These hypnotics reduce latency to sleep onset and total awakenings by increasing total sleep duration. Benzodiazepines enhance the effect of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) by increasing ... Read More
Insight Into Insomnia. Part 1
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Disorders Tags: Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, Medications
Insomnia is a subjective complaint of non-restorative sleep that may involve difficulty falling asleep, frequent or prolonged nocturnal awakenings, and early morning awakenings. Insomnia, whether transient, short-term, or chronic, appears to contribute to increased rates of absenteeism, healthcare utilization, and social disability. Pharmacologic and behavioral modification therapy are the treatment modalities currently employed to treat insomnia. The etiology, duration of symptoms, and patient-specific factors such as age and concomitant disease ... Read More
Hello, everybody, who is interested to be healthy. My name is Kelly. I learnt about depression by my own experience. Now I am ok. Here I want to share my thoughts and ideas how to treat depression symptoms.