Depression is an often misunderstood disorder; it can become a serious health condition when depressive episodes are accompanied by clinically significant distress. A January 2016 study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, gives hope to older adults who experience depression, along with a chronic health condition. It claims that diabetes patients can improve their overall health and prevent premature death by getting rid of depressive conditions through proper treatment.

The study also showed, for the first time, that older adults with diabetes were less likely to die when they sought depression care management, as compared with those who received only normal care. Surprisingly, depression care management did not appear to provide similar results for other diseases.

In the study, 1,226 participants – adults aged above 60 years diagnosed with major depression – were required to complete a questionnaire that ensured whether they had been diagnosed with a chronic health condition, such as diabetes or heart disease, in the past. Results revealed that 40 percent of the participants experienced a complete recovery from depression soon after four months of the treatment, as compared with just 22.5 percent of the elderly who received normal care. The study was a step forward in determining that structured treatment not only reduces the overall mortality rate in older adults, but also considerably improves depression symptoms.

In order to reduce the suffering caused by depression, the current study focuses on the need to integrate mental health and primary care services. At the same time, it highlights that the treatment of depression reduces the risk of death across other chronic health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. 

Who is at risk?

According to a 2015 report in the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five adults (or 43.8 million) experiences mental illness in a particular year, and nearly one in 25 adults (10 million) experiences a serious mental illness in a given year in the United States.  Although it may be difficult to spot depression in older adults, signs like memory loss, sleep problems or withdrawal may indicate depression in them. Depression has a number of effects on health, including changing how the body maintains balance and reacts to stress, but the following complications are common across all age groups:

  • Social isolation
  • Phobias, panic disorders and anxiety attacks
  • Family and relationship problems
  • Loss of interest in daily activities

While many people with depression don't have the typical symptoms, they may find it harder to be physically active and engage in self-care. For people who have multiple episode of depression, the symptoms may occur most of the day – severe enough to cause noticeable problems in day-to-day activities.

Recovery from depression

While the risks associated with depression have been known for some time, it has been unclear as to how to implement and scale up primary care for mental health. Mental disorders are prevalent in all societies, so it becomes essential to determine whether treating depression would translate into improvements in health. Many people suffer from both physical and mental health problems as both these problems are interwoven. As a general rule, integrated primary care services offer a holistic treatment to the patients, meeting needs of both mental health and physical disorder.

Depression is a lifelong condition, wherein therapists should aim to reduce frequent episodes of the mental condition. In doing so, healthcare professionals need to conduct a more thorough review of a patient's psychiatric history with depression and anxiety and explore other potential risk factors that could influence a sudden and unexpected episode.

If you or your loved one is dealing with depression that needs medical intervention, it's better to visit a reputed mental health disorder center in Arizona or elsewhere in the U.S. A mental health disorder center Arizona or a mental health disorder clinic in Arizona may offer treatment from the major mental illnesses, including the most common ones – depression and anxiety.

Depression doesn't have to destroy your life. Call the Arizona Depression Helpline today at 866-233-3895 to get the help you need and get your life back.

Source : articlesbase.com

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