Depression needs to be recognized as a devastating illness for many people. It is the primary risk factor for suicide and seriously erodes quality of life. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimate that 20 million Americans suffer from depression, and that most do not get treatment.
Anyone can become depressed. But women, older people, and those who have recently experienced a traumatic event (divorce, job loss, or sudden death of a loved one) are most susceptible.
The NIH recently completed a six-month depression treatment study with low-income minority women (a high-risk group). After screening, those who were depressed were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: medication, psychotherapy, and referral to a community mental health provider.
Those women on medication and psychotherapy made the most improvement. Those referred to community mental health centers (standard treatment) made the least improvement – primarily because they often didn't follow through on treatment.
Women assigned to psychotherapy were treated in eight weekly cognitive behavioral therapy sessions. They were taught techniques to manage their mood, disprove thinking that might be keeping them depressed, engage in pleasant activities, reverse self-defeating beliefs, and get social support from others.
The bottom line: Those who got help and completed their therapy made significant improvement compared to those who didn't get treatment. After treatments, they had reduced depressive symptoms, improved home and work life, and were able to engage more in social activities.
The study authors concluded, "Results show that low-income women in minority populations benefit from depression treatment when it is paired with intensive outreach and encouragement to support the interventions. Not only did women achieve lower levels of depressive symptoms, but they also gained higher levels of functioning in daily life."
Depression and the Heart
Another study looked at the quality of life of people with coronary artery disease. Researchers looked primarily at two issues – impairment of cardiac function and presence of depressive symptoms – to see which affected quality of life the most. They found depression to be highly related to quality-of-life issues, such as symptom burden, physical limitations, diminished quality of life, and worse overall health status. People who were depressed were generally twice as likely to have poor quality of life compared to non-depressed people.
Interestingly, two primary measures of cardiac function – ejection fraction (the percent of blood in the heart chamber that is pumped per beat) and ischemia (lack of oxygen to the heart muscle due to partially blocked vessels) were not related to quality-of-life issues. The researchers concluded that to improve the quality of life of heart patients it is just as important (if not more important) to screen for depression and treat it when found.
Among the 1,024 coronary artery disease patients studied, 20 percent (201) were found to be depressed. This is a very high rate.
Linked to Nutrition
A third study looked at nutrition and depression in pregnant women and young mothers. Researchers found that depression occurred only half as often in women who had a high intake of n-3 fatty acids, as it did in those with low intakes. Growing infants require n-3 fatty acids for normal brain development. During pregnancy, mothers might have a higher need for n-3 fatty acids for their infants as well as their own bodies.
Although fish is a primary source of n-3 fatty acids, the FDA recommends that pregnant women avoid eating certain fish high in mercury, Such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish. (Mercury is toxic to the fetus.) If you eat fish, choose those that are lower in mercury and high in n-3 fatty acids, such as wild-caught salmon, lake trout, common mackerel, and sardines. Non-fish sources of n-3 fatty acids include walnuts, flax meal, canola oil, soy foods, and soy oil.
The researchers suggested that eating an additional one gram of n-3 fatty acids daily might also help prevent depression. Other studies need to be made to confirm these findings. Until then, eating more n-3 fatty acids is a confirmed good-health principle for building heart health. It's possible that n-3 fatty acids can help keep the brain in good health as well. |
