Depression is a complex mood disorder that affects a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings and physical health. It is caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and chemical factors in the brain. There are several types of depression including major depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and postpartum depression. Common symptoms include loss of interest, feelings of helplessness, changes in appetite and sleep, fatigue, and thoughts of suicide. Treatment aims to help people struggling with depression regain control of their lives.

1. A SIMPLIFIED APPROACH TO
DEPRESSION
Windsor University School of
Medicine
Psychiatry Rotation
Attending Physician – Dr. Archibald
Presentation by:
OLADAPO SAMSON OLUWABUKOLA
1ST AUGUST, 2012

2. Overview
Telling someone with a
depression & mood disease
things like 'Cheer up. Get
over it. Move forward', is
like telling a blind person
'Just look harder

4. What Is Depression?
 Depression is more than just a “down mood.”
It’s a condition that can be characterized by
the persistence of several
symptoms, including feelings of
sadness, emptiness, and isolation. But the
good news is that doctors are developing a
better understanding of depression, which
has led to new treatments to help people
struggling with depression regain control of
their lives.

5. What Is Depression?
 Depression is a state of low mood and aversion
to activity that can affect a person's
thoughts, behavior, feelings and physical well-
being. Depressed people may feel
sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, worried, hel
pless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless.
They may lose interest in activities that
once were pleasurable; experience loss of
appetite or overeating, have problems
concentrating, remembering details, or
making decisions; and may contemplate or
attempt suicide. Insomnia, excessive
sleeping, fatigue, loss of energy, or

6.  It is commonly thought that about one in four
women and one in six men will experience an
episode of clinical depression over their
lifetime. This of course depends on how you
define clinical depression.
 Feeling down from time to time is a natural
part of life, but for almost 1 out of every 5 of
us, this temporary down moment turns to
depression and it can last a long time.
 Depression affects almost everything from our
emotions to physical health and our
relationships and work.
 The good news is, today we have a better

8. What Causes Depression?
 There is no single cause for depression.
Experts believe that a combination of
three factors—genetics, the
environment, and perhaps (although this
has never been clearly proven) chemical
imbalances in the brain—work together
to cause depression.
 Depression can strike anyone regardless of
age, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, or
gender; however, large-scale research studies
have found that depression is about twice as
common in women as in men.

9. What Causes Depression?
A normal, functioning brain is a
messaging system that controls all
bodily functions. Communication within
the brain is enabled through billions of
cells called neurons. These cells send
and receive messages from the rest of
your body and with each other. To do
this, they release chemicals called
neurotransmitters, which communicate
with other cells across a gap between
them. This gap is called a synapse.
When the brain is working normally, the

10. What Causes Depression?
 But, when a person has
depression, the chemical
messengers are speculated to
perhaps either not function
correctly, or not be present in
normal quantities. However, it
should be noted that there has never
been clear substantiation of a definitive
―chemical imbalance‖ that is responsible
for depression. What causes this
complex disorder of mood and somatic

12. Types of Depression
 There are a number of different types
of depression:
 Major Depression
 Dysthymia
 Bipolar Disorder
 Seasonal Affective Disorder
 Postpartum Depression

13. Major Depression
 Also known as „Unipolar’ Depression
 This is the most common type of depression.
 It is considered severe and symptoms last for weeks
or months.

14. Dysthymia
 This condition is less severe than major
depression, but each episode lasts for a longer period
of time, often several years.

15. Bipolar Disorder
 Unlike the other types of depression, this condition
involves an “up” mood called “mania,” in addition to
“down” moods. For this reason, this condition is
sometimes called manic-depressive illness.
 They have issues with relationship and
work, sometimes coinciding.

16. Seasonal Affective Disorder
(SAD)
 This condition occurs at a certain time of the year, usually
winter. It is also known as Winter Depression. It is a
pattern of “down moods” caused by changes in the
weather and decreased exposure to sunlight.

17. Postpartum Depression
 This is caused by hormonal changes after the delivery
of a baby. It is much more severe than the usual “baby
blues,” which affects many women for a short period
after giving birth.

18. Postpartum Depression
 Extreme concern and worry about the baby or a
lack of interest or feelings for the baby
 Feeling unable to love the baby or your family
 Anger toward the baby, your partner, or other
family members
 Anxiety or panic attacks
 Fear of harming the baby; these thoughts may be
obsessive, and may be afraid to be left alone in
the house with the baby.
 Sadness or excessive crying
 Feelings of doubt, guilt, helplessness,
hopelessness, or restlessness
 Lethargy or extreme fatigue

20. Symptoms of Depression
 The following are the classic symptoms of depression:
 Loss of interest in normal daily activities
 Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, or
sadness, including crying spells
 Loss of energy and the ability to concentrate
 Problems sleeping
 Feeling useless or inadequate for an extended
period
 Significant weight loss or gain, or extended periods
of indigestion
 Fatigue or headaches for extending periods
 Decrease in sexual activity for an extended period of
time

21. Observations
 If you have these several of these symptoms for two
or more weeks, seek medical care to determine if you
are suffering from depression. If you have thoughts
of harming yourself or thoughts of suicide, you
should seek medical care immediately.
 Of course, it is normal for a person to feel down after
a period of major stress or loss such as the death of a
loved one. The is considered the "grieving process".
But, if the “down” mood does not improve after several
months, or if it worsens, this may be a sign that the
normal grieving process has turned into a clinical
depression.

22. FINALLY…

23. This is the Heart Desire of
every therapist, family
members, friends and the
entire community – that the
depressed patient returns
back to their former