In the new year, you will shake off your old worries and plan a bright future with a new resolution. However, many patients with depression suffer from excessive stress due to burden and anxiety as well as expectations and excitement for the new year.
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of depression patients in 2021 was 917,785, up 14.3% from 796,364 in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. It has increased by about 7% annually, and is expected to reach 1 million by 2022.
Major depressive disorder, commonly called depression, is a symptom of depression and loss of interest. The probability of developing major depressive disorder more than once in a lifetime is known to be 5-10% for men and 10-25% for women.
Depression, referred to by the Department of Psychiatry, is judged to be abnormal as "episode" only when depression persists almost every day and throughout the day in various areas such as thoughts, interest, motivation, appetite, sleep, and physical activity.
The cause of depression is related to various neurotransmitters including serotonin, abnormalities in hormones, and changes in biorhythm, and genetic factors are identified as 40 to 50%.
Oh Jong-soo, a psychiatrist at H+ Yangji Hospital, explained, "Stress cannot necessarily be considered to cause major depressive disorders, but it can be an environmental factor that affects the personality aspect, resulting in cognitive negative perceptions of oneself, the world, and the future."
Depressed minds are also affected by the season. In the case of seasonal depression, depression is experienced for a certain period of time in a specific season, and many patients with depression disorders also complain of autumn and winter fatigue and show symptoms such as overeating and oversleeping. This is known to be related to the decrease in sunlight.
Depression can have various symptoms, and negative emotions such as depression, decreased interest, and enjoyment are the main symptoms. In addition, symptoms such as guilt, decreased concentration, and fatigue appear, changes in sleep or appetite, and changes in mental motility may occur. In severe cases, psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations may appear.
For depression, drug treatment, mental treatment, and cognitive treatment are performed, and most major depressive disorders do not recover from mental treatment or cognitive treatment alone, and antidepressants are used. In general, the treatment response of antidepressant administration requires more than 4 weeks, so it should be treated steadily. In addition, hospitalization treatment may be required if the risk of suicide is high or psychotic symptoms are accompanied.
Specialist Oh Jong-soo recommended, "In the Department of Mental Health, major depressive disorders should be judged considering the severity and frequency of various symptoms such as depression, loss of interest, weight loss or increase, insomnia or excessive sleep, anxiety, worthlessness, concentration loss, and thought of death."
Writer: Grace Jun
(Picture from Unsplash)
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