Identification and Description of the Mental Disorder
A case study of a 39 year old female, Sarah has been presented. The case states that she has been experiencing mood alterations for the past two months as well as her level of activity have also been affected. Although, a very fit and an active individual, she has been facing issues doing even mundane activities as she feels that she has been lacking energy and has also had significant weight loss due to her lack of appetite. She has also been having sleep issues as she tends to wake up hours before her usual time and then has trouble going back to sleep. As an energetic professional who was always eager to undertake work activities, she states that she has been feeling uninterested in her work activities and therefore has been delegating a majority of tasks to others. Therefore, this report aims to diagnose the issue that is being faced by Sarah as well as understand the factors that feature as a causative link. Furthermore, the available treatment options will also be discussed further in the report.
In accordance to her symptoms, Sarah’s condition can be identified as a depressive episode. Depressive illness is a common and serious medical condition that has a negative impact on how one feels, one’s thoughts, as well as in the context of one’s behavior. When one has mild, moderate, or severe depression, their mood, energy, and level of activity all suffer. There is a decline in the amount of interest, enjoyment, and ability to pay attention to things that are happening (Busch et al., 2013). A loss of sleep as well as a decrease in appetite are two potential signs of the condition. A person’s poor mood may fluctuate from day to day and is not resistant to environmental influences such as stress or anxiety. Suicidal tendencies may also surface in major depressive disorders.
It is possible that physical symptoms such as early morning sadness, a lack of sexual drive, and/or significant psychomotor impairment will occur as a result of the depression. The quantity and intensity of symptoms associated with a depressive episode indicate the severity of the episode (Ettmanet al., 2020). In Sarah’s case, she had symptoms such as changes in sleep pattern, lack of interest, mood alterations and fatigue. However, it is essential to note that she did not have any suicidal thoughts and her affliction was two months prior. Therefore her depressive disorder can be stated as moderate.
According to research undertaken by various scholars and researchers, there are several factors that can act as a causative link to depressive episodes. Also, it is essential to note that the symptoms may not be the same for each individual afflicted by depression as well as the causative link may also differ considerably. Therefore, certain factors have been noted below which may prove to be the cause:
Depression may be aided by the presence of neurotransmitters, which are naturally occurring molecules in the brain. Depression and its treatment may be influenced by changes in neurotransmitter activity and effect, as well as their interactions with the neuro-circuits that regulate mood (Zimmerman & Papa, 2020). Inherent traits are another possible contributing element. Depressive episodes are more common in those who have relatives who have experienced a depressive episode (Matee, 2019). Efforts are continuing to identify genes that may have a role in depression. Biological differences are also an influence. People who are depressed go through physical changes in their brain. At this time, the importance of these changes is unclear, although they may one day help categorise triggers.
Possible Causes of the Stated Disorder
Depression may be caused by changes in hormone control in the body. An imbalance of hormones in the body may contribute to depression. Physically unwell people are more likely to suffer from mental health issues like depressive disorders. Depressive episodes are more difficult to control for those who live unhealthy lives. For instance ailments and conditions such as pregnancy, thyroid conditions, menopause may bring about several hormonal changes and imbalances in the body and might factor in as a causative link to depression or depressive episodes (Hicks et al., 2020).
Hicks et al. (2020) also state that an individual is more likely to suffer from severe depression later in life if they had previously been subjected to any kind of abuse, whether it was physical, emotional, or sexual in nature. Similarly, an important event may have precipitated this outburst. Sometimes, even happy life milestones like getting married or graduating might set off a bout of depression. Depressive symptoms are never a “natural” reaction to life’s ups and downs, such as moving, getting divorced, losing one’s job, or running out of money. Jang et al. (2020) state that the notion of normalcy attributing to these factors is of great concern and must be avoided.
Furthermore, Chopra et al. (2021) state that depressive symptoms may be exacerbated by an unbalanced, innutritious diet, which may lead to weight gain and a general sense of helplessness. Interferon-alpha, a medication used to treat acne, may increase a patient’s risk of suffering from a depressive episode (Schroder et al, 2020). Also, depressive disorders are more likely to develop in people who prefer to isolate themselves and avoid social engagement. This is because they are alone all the time, have no one to confide in, and have a lot of things locked up inside of themselves. A depressive condition might occur if this stress gets too high states Metee (2019).
Depression has long been seen as a treatable sickness by medical professionals. It is often treated with a combination of medication and psychotherapy. In addition, complementary therapy and behavioural modifications are often recommended. Individualized treatment plans are developed for each patient based on the kind of depressive episode, the affected person’s specific interests, and their medical history. Psychotherapy is a kind of therapeutic intervention. This is referred to as talk therapy. When experiencing a depressive episode, individuals may benefit from a range of therapy choices ranging from moderate to severe. Among the many different types of psychotherapies are mediation, issue resolution therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which helps people learn more effective ways of thinking and behaving, interpersonal therapy, and interpersonal therapy with a group of people (Currie & MacLeod, 2020).
Medication is also used to alleviate this situation. In cases of moderate to severe depressive disorder, medication may be used to treat the condition. It is occasionally used in conjunction with psychotherapy to get the best results. While the exact mechanism of action is not fully understood, antidepressant medication is thought to affect neurotransmitter levels in the brain, thereby improving one’s mood. Exercise has been suggested to be beneficial in the treatment of moderate to severe depressive episodes, however the efficiency of this treatment is uncertain. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and non-seasonal major depressive disorder (NMD) have both been shown to worsen depression symptoms when treated with bright light therapy. In addition to psychotherapy and antidepressant medication, light therapy may be useful on its own or in conjunction with these treatments (Currie & MacLeod, 2020).
Treatment Options
Mesopotamia was the first place to record what is now known as depression. Depression was viewed as a spiritual issue rather than a medical one in these writings. Much like depressive episodes other mental diseases too were believed to be due by spirit possession. As such, clerics rather than doctors dealt with it (Van Buyleare, 2020).
Depression has been attributed to demons and bad spirits in a variety of civilizations, including that of the ancient Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, Chinese, and Egyptians. Due to this belief, it was often treated with techniques like as beatings, physical constraint, and fasting in order to expel the demons (Van Buyleare, 2020). While many thought depression was induced by demonic aspects, a few of ancient Greek and Roman medics felt it was a medical and psychological disorder. Then the physicians addressed the sufferers with gymnastics, massage, food, music, and baths, as well as a treatment combining opium extract and donkey’s milk (Kendler, 2020).
However, there are various other therapy alternatives for depressed episodes accessible today. The progress of the same is a result of ongoing study in the area of mental health studies. Depression affects individuals from all walks of life and contributes significantly to the worldwide illness burden. Depression affects an estimated 350 million individuals throughout the world at any one time. One out of every 23 people had a recent episode of depression, according to the Cohen & DeRubeis (2018) World Mental Health Survey, which was conducted in 17 countries. Depressive disorders may begin early in childhood and are often recurrences, hindering people’s ability to function. Due to these causes, depression is the primary cause of disability globally, make up a majority of years lost to impairment (Kampling, 2021). There has been an increase in the number of people suffering from mental health issues throughout the globe.
Conclusion
In summation, it is to be understood that depressive disorders are not to be taken lightly and medical aid is to be sourced at the earliest. Such steps are to be undertaken as the stated disorder has the tendency to expand and deepen if left without being addressed. The report also provides a range of treatment options that can be undertaken to combat this disease.
References
Busch, M., Maske, U., Ryl, L., Schlack, R., & Hapke, U. (2013). Prevalence of depressive symptoms and diagnosed depression among adults in Germany.
Chopra, C., Mandalika, S., & Kinger, N. (2021). Does diet play a role in the prevention and management of depression among adolescents? A narrative review. Nutrition and health, 27(2), 243-263.
Cohen, Z. D., & DeRubeis, R. J. (2018). Treatment selection in depression. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 14, 209-236.
Currie, J. M., & MacLeod, W. B. (2020). Understanding doctor decision making: The case of depression treatment. Econometrica, 88(3), 847-878.
Ettman, C. K., Abdalla, S. M., Cohen, G. H., Sampson, L., Vivier, P. M., & Galea, S. (2020). Prevalence of depression symptoms in US adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA network open, 3(9), e2019686-e2019686.
Hicks, J., Snodgrass, J., & DeLouize, A. (2020). Age-related and culturally specific causes of depression underdiagnosis among older adults: Results from the Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE).
Jang, B. N., Lee, H. J., Joo, J. H., Park, E. C., & Jang, S. I. (2020). Association between health behaviours and depression: findings from a national cross-sectional study in South Korea. BMC psychiatry, 20(1), 1-9.
Kampling, H., Baumeister, H., Bengel, J., & Mittag, O. (2021). Prevention of depression in adults with long?term physical conditions. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (3).
Kendler, K. S. (2020). The origin of our modern concept of depression—The history of melancholia from 1780-1880: A review. JAMA psychiatry, 77(8), 863-868.
Matee, H. (2019). Causes of depression as you age. Mental Health Matters, 6(2), 14-16.
Schroder, H. S., Duda, J. M., Christensen, K., Beard, C., & Björgvinsson, T. (2020). Stressors and chemical imbalances: Beliefs about the causes of depression in an acute psychiatric treatment sample. Journal of Affective Disorders, 276, 537-545.
Van Buylaere, G. (2020). Depression at the Royal Courts of Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal. In The Expression of Emotions in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (pp. 201-219). Brill.
Zimmermann, M., & Papa, A. (2020). Causal explanations of depression and treatment credibility in adults with untreated depression: Examining attribution theory. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 93(3), 537-554.
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