Depressed Patients May Need Treatment for both Physical and Emotional SymptomsSeptember 08, 2004Physical symptoms (such as headache, back pain, stomach problems, joint or muscle pains, and dizziness) are nearly as common in depression as emotional symptoms and are the predominant complaint depressed patients present with in the primary care setting. A study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine examined the prevalence, impact on quality of life, and outcome of physical symptoms in depressed patients during nine months of antidepressant therapy. While physical symptoms showed, on average, some improvement with antidepressant treatment, the improvement was typically less than for emotional symptoms. The physical symptoms showed the greatest improvement during the initial month of treatment. In contrast, depression continued to show gradual improvements over the 9-month period. Unlike depression, however, improvement in physical symptoms typically plateaus with minimal resolution in subsequent months.
Therefore, it is important to recognize the physical symptoms that commonly co-exist with depression and, if they fail to improve during the first month of treatment, to consider additional therapies. Corresponding author, Dr. Kroenke states, "It is important to ask patients with depression about physical symptoms at the start of treatment and when assessing improvement ask about physical as well as emotional symptoms." Blackwell Publishing Ltd | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Related Depression Current Events and Depression News Articles Vision problems prompt older drivers to put down the keys With 30 million drivers in the US aged 65 and over, we count on older Americans to recognize when they can no longer drive safely and decide that it's time to stay off the road. A new study finds that a decrease in vision function is a key factor in bringing about this decision. Smoking during pregnancy fosters aggression in children Women who smoke during pregnancy risk delivering aggressive kids according to a new Canada-Netherlands study published in the journal Development and Psychopathology. While previous studies have shown that smoking during gestation causes low birth weight, this research shows mothers who light up during pregnancy can predispose their offspring to an additional risk: violent behaviour. Expectant brains help predict anxiety treatment success A network of emotion-regulating brain regions implicated in the pathological worry that can grip patients with anxiety disorders may also be useful for predicting the benefits of treatment. Family rejection of LGB children linked to poor health in early childhood For the first time, researchers have established a clear link between family rejection of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adolescents and negative health outcomes in early adulthood. Another reason to get your hands dirty The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week in order to maintain and improve optimal health. Childhood anxiety disorders can and should be treated, according to UT Southwestern national expert Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents should be recognized and treated to prevent educational underachievement and adult substance abuse, anxiety disorders and depression, says a nationally recognized child psychiatrist from UT Southwestern Medical Center. Hormones increase frequency of inherited form of migraine in women Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) is an inherited form of severe migraine that is accompanied by visual disturbances known as aura. As with other types of migraine, it affects women more frequently than men. What is the effect of fluoxetine on mast cell? Mast cells are now recognized as "granular cells of the connective tissue", whose activation exacerbates allergic immune responses and as key players in the establishment of innate immunity as well as modulators of adaptive immune responses. Vulnerability to post-traumatic stress disorder runs in families, study shows Earthquakes have aftershocks - not just the geological kind but the mental kind as well. Just like veterans of war, earthquake survivors can experience post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. Not Just for Depression Anymore Prozac is regularly prescribed to ease the emotional pain of patients who are being treated for cancer. But can this common anti-depressant help to fight cancer itself? More Depression Current Events and Depression News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||