Diagnosis and Symptoms

Diagnosis

If an individual reports a persistent low mood for at least two weeks then this strongly suggests that the individual maybe suffering from depression however the diagnostic the general practitioner carries out assessments or by a psychiatrist these include the following:

·         Recording an individuals current circumstances

·         Biographical history and current symptoms

·         Family medical history

·         Discussion of an individuals alcohol or drug use 

Rating scales have been not to diagnose individuals but as a cut-off point to give an indication on which individuals may potentially be suffering from depression. Screening programs have been used to help detect depression however they have been criticized as they fail to provide a good indication in detection rates, treatment or outcome. 

Symptoms

A range of symptoms influencing their mood, cognitive, motivational and physical behavior has accompanied unipolar depression. Individuals do not need to acquire all of these symptoms to be diagnosed as depressed; however the severity of depression depends upon the number of symptoms they express and the intensity of such symptoms.  

Individuals suffering unipolar depression as a result of endogenous or reactive factors have reported to show different symptoms. Endogenous depressions that affect 1% of the population (both men and women equally) are associated with severe forms of depression and therefore express biological disturbances such as insomnia and anorexia. On the other hand reactive depression has less biological disturbances and is associated with psychological symptoms, such as a feeling of worthlessness.

According to DSM-IV proposed by theAmerican Psychiatric Association, unipolar depression can be diagnosed if an individual displays 5 or more of the following symptoms: 

 

Image courtesy of flickr under creative commons lisence:www.flickr.com/search/?q=death&m=text

 ·        Behavioral changes such as significant weight loss (due to a decrease in appetite) or significant weight gain (due to an increase in appetite).

·         Poorer concentration, memory and indecisiveness.

·         Insomnia (inability to sleep) or less commonly hypersomnia (excessive sleeping)

·         Physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, psychomotor agitation and digestive difficulties.

·         Pervasively depressed and unreactive moods concerning the present, past and future.

·         Inability to obtain pleasure from usually pleasurable activities (anhedonia).

·         Inappropriate feelings of guilt and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide in an attempt to end their suffering.

 Image courtesy of flickr under creative commons lisence: www.flickr.com/search/?q=can%27t+sleep&m=text

During an episode of depression Abraham Lincoln’s stated:

‘I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on earth. Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell; I awfully forebode I shall not. To remain as I am is impossible. I must die or be better it appears to me.’

American Psychiatric Association link: www.psych.org/