DEPRESSION

Depression is a common response to health problems and is an often under diagnosed problem in the patient population.  People may become depressed as a result of injury or illness; may be suffering from an earlier loss that is compounded by a new health problem; or may seek health care for somatic manifestations  of depression.
Clinical depression is distinguished from everyday feelings of sadness by its duration and severity.  Most people occasionally feel down or depressed, but these feelings are short-lived and do not result in impaired functioning.  Clinically depressed people usually have had signs of a depressed mood or decreased interest in pleasurable activities for at least a 2-week period.  An obvious impairement in social, occupational, and overall daily functioning occurs in some people.  Others function appropriately in their interactions with the outside world by exerting great effort and forcing themselves to mask their distress.  Sometimes they are successful at hiding their depression for months or years and astonish family members and others when they finally admit that they are seriously depressed.
Many people experience depression but seek treatment for somatic complaints.  The leading somatic complaints  of patients struggling with depression are headache, backache, abdominal pain, fatigue, malaise, anxiety, and decreased desire or problems with sexual functioning .  These sensations are frequently manifestations of depression.  The depression is undiagnosed about half of the time and masquerades as physical health problems.  People with depression also exhibit poor functioning and frequent absences from work and school.

Depression is a common response to health problems and is an often under diagnosed problem in the patient population.  People may become depressed as a result of injury or illness; may be suffering from an earlier loss that is compounded by a new health problem; or may seek health care for somatic manifestations  of depression.

Clinical depression is distinguished from everyday feelings of sadness by its duration and severity.  Most people occasionally feel down or depressed, but these feelings are short-lived and do not result in impaired functioning.

Clinically depressed people usually have had signs of a depressed mood or decreased interest in pleasurable activities for at least a 2-week period.  An obvious impairement in social, occupational, and overall daily functioning occurs in some people.  Others function appropriately in their interactions with the outside world by exerting great effort and forcing themselves to mask their distress.  Sometimes they are successful at hiding their depression for months or years and astonish family members and others when they finally admit that they are seriously depressed.

Many people experience depression but seek treatment for somatic complaints.  The leading somatic complaints  of patients struggling with depression are headache, backache, abdominal pain, fatigue, malaise, anxiety, and decreased desire or problems with sexual functioning .  These sensations are frequently manifestations of depression.  The depression is undiagnosed about half of the time and masquerades as physical health problems.  People with depression also exhibit poor functioning and frequent absences from work and school.