If someone you love has clinical depression, there is a strong risk that they will at some point think about suicide. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, about 30% of all people with clinical depression will attempt suicide, and about 15% will ultimately succeed in taking their own life. Although a more recent estimate places the risk of completed suicide significantly lower, at 3.5%, the risk of suicide should still be taken quite seriously because suicide is very preventable.

The best way to prevent suicide, according to Suicide Prevention Resources, is to make sure you know the following risk factors and warning signs of suicide...Read more

Suicide Prevention originally appeared on About.com Depression on Friday, September 3rd, 2010 at 08:41:35.

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A nutritional supplement called S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe), which is available over-the-counter, may be an effective, well-tolerated add-on treatment for those who do not respond to prescription antidepressants, says researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.

For the study, 73 adults were randomly assigned to either a SAMe treatment group (SAMe plus an antidepressant) or a placebo group (antidepressant plus an additional, sham treatment).

The researchers found that SAMe, in combination with an antidepressant, was more effective than an antidepressant alone.� The group treated with SAMe� had a greater response rate and remission rate than did the placebo group.� SAMe was also well-tolerated and no one reported any adverse reactions while using it.

"With each study we continue to gain a better understanding of SAMe's role in treating depression," said study author Dr. George Papakostas.� "This new finding, albeit preliminary and in urgent need of replication, suggests significant, clinically meaningful differences in outcome among patients who had SAMe added to their antidepressant medication treatment compared to those taking a placebo with their medication."� Papakostas added that, while the research is promising, more research will be needed before a recommend for wide-spread use can be made.

SAMe is a synthetic form of a substance that is formed naturally in the body by the combination of the essential amino acid methionine and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy-producing compound found in all cells in the body.� It is believed to help depression by increasing the availability of serotonin and dopamine, two substances which are believed to be involved in mood regulation.

You should always consult with your doctor before starting any new supplement or making any changes to your treatment regimen.

The study appears in the August 2010 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

SAMe May Help Those Who Don't Respond to Antidepressants originally appeared on About.com Depression on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 04:45:43.

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More than half of babies who are living in poverty are being reared by mothers with depression, according to new research.

And, having a mother who is depressed can lead to real problems for the child, according to researcher Olivia Golden, who along with her colleagues at Urban Institute wrote the paper.�� "A mom who is too sad to get up in the morning won't be able to take care of all of her child's practical needs.� If she is not able to take joy in her child, talk baby talk, play with the child - those are features of parenting that brain development research has told us contribute to babies' and toddlers' successful development."

The authors also noted that the mother's depression had an impact on how long the infants were breastfed, with babies of depressed mothers being breastfed for a shorter length of time.� In fact, 87% of the severely depressed mothers living in poverty breastfed their babies for four months or less. � The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding at least throughout the first year of life.

Unfortunately, depression in poverty-stricken mothers also often goes untreated, said the authors.�� They found that only 30% of the mothers that they surveyed had spoken with a mental health professional within the past year.� With at least 70 percent not getting help, the problem is significant and "we should focus on closing that gap," said Golden.

Golden and her team point out, however, that there are many opportunities to help these mothers, who often have contact with social services programs such as food stamps and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).� Health-care reform will also open up insurance to many such mothers who did not previously have coverage, say the researchers.

To learn more about the depression-poverty link and how it affects families, visit http://www.urban.org/.

Maternal Depression, Poverty Linked originally appeared on About.com Depression on Friday, August 27th, 2010 at 05:22:05.

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Women experiencing perimenopausal or menopausal depression may be helped by the drug Pristiq (desvenlafaxine), says a Virginia Commonwealth researcher who also serves as a consultant for Pfizer, the manufacturer of Pristiq.

According to researcher Susan G. Kornstein, M.D., a professor of psychiatry and obstetrics/gynecology at the VCU School of Medicine, her previous work has shown that women may respond differently to antidepressants than men do and they may also respond differently at various points in their lives, so, she felt it was important to determine if women respond differently during reproductive events, such as menopause.� "This is the first large study testing the effectiveness of an antidepressant specifically in peri-and postmenopausal women with depression," said Kornstein.

In her research, Kornstein compared the effectiveness and safety of this antidepressant to a placebo (inactive pill) in a double-blind trial.� The study enrolled 387 women who were either peri- or postmenopausal and who were diagnosed with major depression.� The women were then randomly placed in groups which received either a 100 mg or 200 mg daily dose of Pristiq or a placebo for the duration of the eight week trial.

The study found that women taking Pristiq showed significant improvement in their depression symptoms as measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, with response rates of 58.6% for the Pristiq groups, compared to 38.2% for the placebo group.� The drug was also effective for both the periomenopausal and the postmenopausal women.

Pristiq works by increasing the amounts of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain, both of which are substances which are thought to be involved in mood regulation.

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Menopausal Depression Helped by Pristiq originally appeared on About.com Depression on Thursday, August 26th, 2010 at 03:16:49.

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Depression, schizophrenia and seasonal affective disorder are all known to suppress the sense of smell and some University of Dresden Medical School researchers think they now know why this occurs.�� This loss of smell may be due to a part of the brain which is responsible for the sense of smell being smaller than normal, they say.

The researchers took 21 people who were depressed and 21 people who were not depressed and exposed them to a faint odor, gradually increasing its concentration, until the people were first able to smell it.

They also used magnetic resonance imaging to measure each volunteer's olfactory bulb, which is the part of the brain that allows us to sense smells.

They found that the non-depressed volunteers were able to detect the smell at a much lower level than the depressed volunteers.� In addition, the depressed volunteers had much smaller olfactory bulbs than their non-depressed counterparts; and, the more depressed the person was, the smaller their olfactory bulb was.

Why does this effect occur?� The researchers speculate that perhaps it may be linked to a process called neurogenesis (the formation of new nervous tissue).� Depression is known to inhibit neurogenesis, and it may prevent the olfactory bulb from growing as large as it should be.� If this explanation is found to be correct,� they say, it could allow physicians to monitor the effectiveness of depression treatment by measuring the size of the olfactory bulb.

The study appears in the journal Neuroscience.

Depression May Cause Loss of Smell originally appeared on About.com Depression on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 at 03:13:17.

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Often we tend to think of domestic violence as something that happens to women. Investigators at the Group Health Center for Health Studies, however, say domestic violence against men is "under-studied and often hidden".

In a study published in the June 2008 American Journal of Preventative Medicine, the researchers presented data which contradicts five commonly held misconceptions about domestic violence against men:

1. Few men experience domestic violence. The truth is that it is more common than believed. When 400 randomly sampled men were interviewed by phone, lead researcher Dr. Robert J. Reid and his colleagues found that 5% had experienced domestic violence in the previous year, 10% in the past five years and 29% at some time during their lifetime. Domestic violence was defined as both physical abuse (slapping, hitting, kicking or forced sex) and non-physical abuse (threats, constant disparaging remarks or controlling behavior).
2. Abuse of men has no serious effects. Even though women are more likely to be physically abused than men, the researchers found that men who were abused - even if the abuse was non-physical - suffered serious, long-term effects on their mental health. Depressive symptoms were nearly three times as common in older men who had experienced abuse than in those who had not.
3. Abused men don't stay with their abusers. Women, especially those who have children or are financially dependent upon their husbands, often stay in abusive relationships. The expectation held, however, is that men would be better able to leave their abusers. "We were surprised to find that most men in abusive relationships also stay, through multiple episodes, for years," said Dr. Reid.
4. Domestic violence only affects the poor. Not so, say the researchers. Their study showed that people from all walks of life are affected.
5. Ignoring it will make it go away. Ignoring a problem does not make it go away, however, many men are ashamed to speak out about abuse because of society's expectations that men are strong and in control. The researchers found that older men were less likely to speak out about their abuse than younger men.

In a press release, the researchers made it clear that they did not want to downplay violence against women. "Our team is concerned about abuse of people: of women as well as men," said Dr. Reid. In fact, the men who were interviewed were asked the same questions that had been asked of women in a previous study about domestic violence against women.

If you are a man or woman who has been abused by the significant other in your life, help is a phone call away. You can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline toll-free at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

_{Photo Credit: StockTrek / Getty Images}

Battered Men: The Hidden Side of Domestic Violence originally appeared on About.com Depression on Friday, August 20th, 2010 at 14:14:32.

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All antidepressants have potential side effects, although not everyone will experience all of them or to the same degree. Some antidepressant side effects will go away on their own as your body adjusts to your medication. Others may never completely subside. It is important to speak to with your doctor about any antidepressant side effects you experience, as some of these may be quite serious. Never stop your medication or adjust your dose without consulting your doctor first. You may experience a return of your depression or unpleasant symptoms called discontinuation syndrome.

Click on the links below to explore strategies for coping with some of the most common antidepressant side effects.

• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Blurred Vision
• Sexual Side Effects
• Weight Gain
• Constipation
• Insomnia
• Dry Mouth
• Nausea
• Anxiety

How to Cope With Antidepressant Side Effects originally appeared on About.com Depression on Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 at 10:40:11.

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Cognitive therapy makes the assumption that thoughts precede moods and that false self-beliefs lead to negative emotions. Cognitive therapy aims to help the patient recognize and reassess his patterns of negative thinking and replace them with positive thoughts that more closely reflect reality.

Studies have shown that cognitive therapy can be just as effective in treating depression as antidepressants.

• Learn More About Cognitive Therapy

Related Articles:

• Cognitive Therapy Is Best for Depression
• Strategies for Coping With Your Negative Thoughts
• Cognitive Therapy Works
• Cognitive Therapy Self-Help Guide

What Is Cognitive Therapy? originally appeared on About.com Depression on Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 11:52:09.

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I'd like to invite everyone reading this to join in on a challenge with me.

First of all, I'd like you to take the time to read an article I wrote a few years ago called You Are What You Think. Take note of whether you see yourself in any of the examples mentioned and review the strategies recommended for those thought patterns.

Now, here's the challenge. Over the next week or so, make it a point to watch for those negative thought patterns in yourself; and, as soon as you catch yourself thinking those thoughts, apply the strategies given. Watch to see what effect it has on how you feel when you shift your thinking to something more positive. Did you feel better? Worse? No effect?

Finally, I'd like you to report back here and leave a comment about your experiences. I am going to insist on one thing, however. If you want to leave a comment, you have to have given it an honest try. No comments about how this could never work unless you've already given it your best shot and it failed to help you.

Related Articles:

• Read About Nancy's Experiences With Positive Thinking
• Ready to Learn More? Try This Self-Help Book

Positive Thinking Challenge originally appeared on About.com Depression on Friday, August 13th, 2010 at 12:06:15.

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One of our forum members asked a very provocative question: "Do you sometimes feel 'happy' about being depressed and not want to overcome it?" Once you get past your outrage, really think about what this means. Does holding on to your depression instead of healing accomplish something for you? Maybe you want to make someone feel guilty for hurting you? Maybe it feels easier to let someone take care of you instead of trying to make your own way? Maybe you would feel like you lost your identity or creativity if you did not feel so deeply? Voting in the poll is anonymous so really search yourself and be honest on this one.

Poll: Do You Feel "Happy" About Being Depressed? originally appeared on About.com Depression on Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 at 10:39:27.

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