This book asserts the belief that depression is just another emotion, just like fear, anger or love. It is the imprint felt after a stressful or traumatic experience. Depression is natural. It is not a disease process reflecting a change in brain chemistry. The sick brain model of depression is a hideous and terrifying concept, as it turns us into cogs in a machine where, if we find the going
This book asserts the belief that depression is just another emotion, just like fear, anger or love. It is the imprint felt after a stressful or traumatic experience. Depression is natural. It is not a disease process reflecting a change in brain chemistry. The sick brain model of depression is a hideous and terrifying concept, as it turns us into cogs in a machine where, if we find the going difficult and want to disengage, we are prescribed an emotional painkiller and advised to carry on regardless. Chemically-induced slavery has arrived. This book offers hope and understanding, and effective ways to create a new identity.
This book is intended to provide an insight into what it is like living with mental health problems, from the perspective of the sufferer. There are true stories, a commentary throughout the book by a manic depressive and poetry. It is difficult to explain to friends, carers or health professionals the way it actually feels to have a mental illness. This book may help by giving people a clearer understanding.
This book is intended to provide an insight into what it is like living with mental health problems, from the perspective of the sufferer. There are true stories, a commentary throughout the book by a manic depressive and poetry. It is difficult to explain to friends, carers or health professionals the way it actually feels to have a mental illness. This book may help by giving people a clearer understanding.
Subject terms:
life story work, mental health problems, bipolar disorder, depression;
The author's descent into clinical depression was so annihilating that he could neither work nor play, nor sustain relationships with family or friends. This book charts his gradual return to joyfulness. The author had lived his whole life in the Chilterns. When depression dragged him under, he felt as if all this was lost, denied, destroyed. In this book he describes how he found the courage
The author's descent into clinical depression was so annihilating that he could neither work nor play, nor sustain relationships with family or friends. This book charts his gradual return to joyfulness. The author had lived his whole life in the Chilterns. When depression dragged him under, he felt as if all this was lost, denied, destroyed. In this book he describes how he found the courage to change his habitat - from hills and chalk to watery fens and flat open spaces. He moved to Norfolk. Slowly, he started once more to look about him. Drawing always on the metaphors and myths of nature - the migration of birds, the magic of the changing seasons - he shows how the British countryside increased his understanding of what really matters and restored his sense of delight.
Subject terms:
life story work, rural areas, depression, happiness;
British Journal of Psychiatry, 18(6), December 2005, pp.495-496.
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Depression remits and recurs, but among what proportion of the population? Retrospective surveys report the lifetime risk to be around 10%. A modelling study and two prospective studies concur that close to half the population can expect one or more episodes of depression in their lifetime.
Depression remits and recurs, but among what proportion of the population? Retrospective surveys report the lifetime risk to be around 10%. A modelling study and two prospective studies concur that close to half the population can expect one or more episodes of depression in their lifetime.
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 20(11), November 2005, pp.1067-1074.
Publisher:
Wiley
The aim was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the 30-item and shortened versions of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) in diagnosing depression in older nursing home patients. Three hundred and thirty-three older nursing home patients participated in a prospective cross-sectional study in the Netherlands. Sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and the area under the receiver operating curve (ROC) were assessed. Cronbach alphas were also calculated. Both major depression (MDD) and minor depression (MinD) according to the DSM-IV criteria, measured with the Schedules of Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN), were used as gold standard. The cut-off point 11 on the GDS-30 gave a sensitivity of 96.3% for MDD and 85.1% for MinD, with a specificity varying between 18.9% and 74.1%. Sufficient internal consistency was found for the GDS-30, the GDS-15, the GDS-12 and the GDS-10, with Cronbach's alphas varying between 0.88 and 0.72. The GDS-30 was found to be a valid and reliable case-finding tool for both major and minor depression in nursing home patients with no cognitive impairment and in patients with mild to moderate cognitively impairment
The aim was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the 30-item and shortened versions of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) in diagnosing depression in older nursing home patients. Three hundred and thirty-three older nursing home patients participated in a prospective cross-sectional study in the Netherlands. Sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and the area under the receiver operating curve (ROC) were assessed. Cronbach alphas were also calculated. Both major depression (MDD) and minor depression (MinD) according to the DSM-IV criteria, measured with the Schedules of Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN), were used as gold standard. The cut-off point 11 on the GDS-30 gave a sensitivity of 96.3% for MDD and 85.1% for MinD, with a specificity of 69.1%. The sensitivity of most of the shortened versions was sufficient, varying between 88.9% and 100% for MDD, and between 63.8% and 97.9% for MinD. With regard to the shortened versions, best sensitivity (96.3% and 78.7%) and specificity (69.5%) were found for the GDS-10 developed by D'Ath et al. (1994). The specificity rates for most of the shortened versions were found to be less satisfactory, varying between 18.9% and 74.1%. Sufficient internal consistency was found for the GDS-30, the GDS-15, the GDS-12 and the GDS-10, with Cronbach's alphas varying between 0.88 and 0.72. The GDS-30 was found to be a valid and reliable case-finding tool for both major and minor depression in nursing home patients with no cognitive impairment and in patients with mild to moderate cognitively impairment (MMSE 15). The GDS-10 (D'Ath et al., 1994) appeared to be the best least time-consuming alternative for the nursing home setting.
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 20(11), November 2005, pp.1097-1102.
Publisher:
Wiley
Depression in the elderly has become a serious health care issue worldwide. However, no studies have determined the prevalence and risk factors for depressive symptoms among a representative sample of community-dwelling elders in Taiwan. The aim was to determine the prevalence and risk factors for depressive symptoms among community-dwelling elders in Taiwan. Stratified random sampling was used inadequacy were significant predictors of depressive symptoms in this sample. The risk factors for depression identified in this study need to be considered when assessing the health of elderly persons. In addition, interventions to reduce depressive symptoms in elders should include strategies to change some of these modifiable risk factors.
Depression in the elderly has become a serious health care issue worldwide. However, no studies have determined the prevalence and risk factors for depressive symptoms among a representative sample of community-dwelling elders in Taiwan. The aim was to determine the prevalence and risk factors for depressive symptoms among community-dwelling elders in Taiwan. Stratified random sampling was used to recruit a representative sample of 1200 elderly participants from northern, middle, southern, and eastern regions of Taiwan. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 27.5%. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that having a respiratory disease, poor cognitive function, poor social support network, dissatisfaction with living situation, perception of poor health status, and perceived income inadequacy were significant predictors of depressive symptoms in this sample. The risk factors for depression identified in this study need to be considered when assessing the health of elderly persons. In addition, interventions to reduce depressive symptoms in elders should include strategies to change some of these modifiable risk factors.
European Journal of Social Work, 8(4), December 2005, pp.451-467.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
In recent years, there has been a shift in labour market policies towards enforcing unemployed workers’ participation in labour market programmes by means of financial sanctions. Requirements of activation and financial sanctions have changed the nature of social work and generated a conflict between client needs and policy requirements. This Finnish study investigates whether and how enforced participation modifies the impact of job-search training on re-employment and mental health. A total of 627 unemployed persons participated in this six-month follow-up study with a control group. In particular, those unemployed workers who were not able to meet the goal of the enforced initiatives by gaining employment are at risk of adverse mental health effects or even of discouragement on the labour market. The results of the follow-up study show that enforced participation did not increase re-employment; however it impaired the positive mental health impacts of the programme. Further analyses demonstrate that enforced participation in job-search training decreased re-employment among the longer-term unemployed workers. It is important that social workers acknowledge the risks that are involved with the enforcement for the more vulnerable groups of unemployed workers.
In recent years, there has been a shift in labour market policies towards enforcing unemployed workers’ participation in labour market programmes by means of financial sanctions. Requirements of activation and financial sanctions have changed the nature of social work and generated a conflict between client needs and policy requirements. This Finnish study investigates whether and how enforced participation modifies the impact of job-search training on re-employment and mental health. A total of 627 unemployed persons participated in this six-month follow-up study with a control group. In particular, those unemployed workers who were not able to meet the goal of the enforced initiatives by gaining employment are at risk of adverse mental health effects or even of discouragement on the labour market. The results of the follow-up study show that enforced participation did not increase re-employment; however it impaired the positive mental health impacts of the programme. Further analyses demonstrate that enforced participation in job-search training decreased re-employment among the longer-term unemployed workers. It is important that social workers acknowledge the risks that are involved with the enforcement for the more vulnerable groups of unemployed workers.
Subject terms:
intervention, mental health problems, depression, employment;
This book is intended to help parents and teachers of depressed children and teenagers. The aim is to help those involved to recognise the signs of depression in children and to understand the possible causes. The authors provide practical advice and information about the support and help that can be given.
This book is intended to help parents and teachers of depressed children and teenagers. The aim is to help those involved to recognise the signs of depression in children and to understand the possible causes. The authors provide practical advice and information about the support and help that can be given.
Mental Health Religion and Culture, 8(4), December 2005, pp.263-276.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA
In this Australian study, 126 Protestant Christian participants, 52 females and 74 males, were assessed for their beliefs about the importance of 26 causal variables and 25 treatment variables for two mental disorders: Major Depression and Schizophrenia. Factor analysis revealed four causal factors, common to both conditions, labelled as religious factors, physical factors, coping style (RMHI) to measure cognitive dissonance between religious faith and perceptions of mental-health principles. The results revealed that religious beliefs, religious values and cognitive dissonance function as predictors of the attribution of the causes and treatments, for Major Depression and Schizophrenia, to religious factors. An additional finding of this study was that 38.2% of the participants endorsed a demonic aetiology of Major Depression, and 37.4% of the participants endorsed a demonic aetiology of Schizophrenia
In this Australian study, 126 Protestant Christian participants, 52 females and 74 males, were assessed for their beliefs about the importance of 26 causal variables and 25 treatment variables for two mental disorders: Major Depression and Schizophrenia. Factor analysis revealed four causal factors, common to both conditions, labelled as religious factors, physical factors, coping style and social/environmental stressors. Furthermore, four treatment factors emerged: religious means, professional help, help from others (non-professional) and self-initiated means. Explanatory variables for these beliefs were assessed using: a Religious Beliefs Inventory (RBI) to measure religious beliefs; a Values Survey (VS) including a measure of Christian religious values; and a Religion and Mental Health Inventory (RMHI) to measure cognitive dissonance between religious faith and perceptions of mental-health principles. The results revealed that religious beliefs, religious values and cognitive dissonance function as predictors of the attribution of the causes and treatments, for Major Depression and Schizophrenia, to religious factors. An additional finding of this study was that 38.2% of the participants endorsed a demonic aetiology of Major Depression, and 37.4% of the participants endorsed a demonic aetiology of Schizophrenia