By

Jørgen and Philip

DEPRESSION IN NORWAY

WHAT IS DEPRESSION • Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person’s

thoughts, behavior, feelings and sense of well being.

• Typically, people with depression find it hard to go about their day to day activities, and may also find that life is not worth living.

• It is a chronic illness that usually requires long term treatment.

DIAGNOSIS • Major depressive disorder (MDD, also called clinical depression ) where a person has at

least two weeks of depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities and a chronic depressed mood.

SYMPTOMS • Somatic symptoms include:

• fatigue, weakness, change in appetite, reduced sex drive, change in weight, insomnia

• Psychological symptoms include:

• Feeling sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, worried, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritated, hurt or restless

CAUSES • Biological:

• Monoamine hypothesis (Serotonin, Norepinephrine and Dopamine), thyroid disease, Unstable circadian rhythm, Genes,

• Psychological

• Low self-esteem, negative emotionality, life events, seasons (winter),

• Social

• Environment, child trauma, alcohol, drugs, stress, excessive work

• Evolutionary

• Social rank

DEPRESSION IN NORWAY • SAD – Season affective disorder

• Long winter, lack of sunlight

• 1/3 Norwegians experience depression at one point in their life.

• 1/3 of people getting unemployment benefits get it because of mental diseases

• Most common in the cities

• Most common in females

• 500-600 people commit suicide each year. (number 33 on the suicide statistics worldwide)

• Costs Norway 180 billion CZK a year (most expensive disease)

TREATMENT • Self help groups

• Alternative methods

• music therapy, bright light therapy, exercise, yoga, acupuncture etc.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy

• Suicide watch and admission to an institution

• SSRI (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)

• Anti-depressive medication, common due to its mild side effects and their lesser toxicity in case of an overdose

• Increases the extracellular level of serotonin by inhibiting its reuptake into the presynaptic cell, causing a higher concentration of serotonin in the synaptic cleft available to bind the postsynaptic receptors.

• In extreme cases electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

• Creates small seizures in anesthetized patients

• Only used in extreme cases (e.g. suicide attempts and if the patient is not responding to other treatment)

IMPORTANT FACTORS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM. • Information

• Awareness

• The reason why more women than men are diagnosed with depression is because it is more likely for women to go and get help.

SOURCES • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depression_(mood)

• http://www.aftenposten.no/helse/Depresjon-koster-Norge-mest-5586846.html#.Ul1kXGQpYaM

• http://www.fhi.no/eway/default.aspx?pid=239&trg=List_6212&Main_6157=6263:0:25,5767&MainContent_6263=6464:0:25,5768&List_6212=6218:0:25,5775:1:0:0:::0:0

• http://www.klikk.no/helse/doktoronline/psykiskhelse/article500128.ece

• http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8933.php

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder#Nordic_countries

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_serotonin_reuptake_inhibitor

• http://www.ssb.no/a/kortnavn/dodsarsak/tab-2012-10-19-01.html

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroconvulsive_therapy