Weight changes to sleep problems, depression is much more than feeling sad

There is more to clinical depression than just being sad or lonely

Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders that can affect any age-group. In India, the prevalence of depressive disorders is estimated to be 4.5 per cent of the total population. But despite being so common, the signs of depression are not well recognised in the country. In a cross-sectional study conducted on 916 college students, only about a third (29.04 per cent) of the group clearly identified depression.

The signs Of Depression 

There is more to clinical depression than just being sad or lonely. To identify whether you or someone else needs help, it is important to have a better understanding of the signs of depression. Feeling of futility or hopelessness. This is different from feeling helpless about a situation. A depressed person loses perspective of life and largely finds everything futile. Other associated feelings include worthlessness, self-hate, and inappropriate levels of guilt. The person loses interest in the things he/she loved and enjoyed doing and feels withdrawn from life.

Anxiety: This includes nervousness, panic, feeling of danger, rapid breathing and fluttering of heart, increased sweating, trembling muscles and troubled focus.

Sleep problems: Different individuals experience sleep problems differently. Some experience insomnia and others feel excessive sleepiness.

Weight changes: Depression causes people to either gain weight out of compulsive eating habits and inactivity or lose weight due to loss of appetite.

Uncontrollable emotions: Excessive depression can result in outburst of anger, followed by guilt and may be uncontrollable crying. There can be extreme mood swings as well.

Suicidal tendencies: The feelings such as “no one understands” are strongly felt by people with depression that leads to suicidal tendencies.

If you experience such feelings and challenges, you should definitely seek help. If you identify a person with such symptoms, you should take important measures like counseling, therapy and practice deep breathing techniques to immediately calm your thoughts. It is important that a psychologist or psychiatrist is consulted for proper diagnosis and treatment…

Read Source : Business Standard

Back pain linked to risky behaviours in teenagers: Study

Does your adolescent son or daughter suffer from back pain often? Beware, he or she may be more likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and report problems like anxiety and depression.

BS | Although often dismissed as trivial and fleeting, adolescent back pain is responsible for substantial health care use, school absence, and interference with day-to-day activities in some children.

The findings showed that the rising frequency of pain increasing the proportion of participants reporting smoking, drinking, and missing school rose.

For example, 14-15 year olds that experienced pain more than once a week were 2-3 times more likely to have drunk alcohol or smoked in the past month than those who rarely or never had pain.

Similarly, students that experienced pain more than once a week were around twice as likely to have missed school in the previous term.

The trend with anxiety and depression was less clear, although there was a marked difference between the children who reported no pain, and those who reported frequent pain, the researchers said.

“Findings like this provide an argument that we should be including pain in the broader conversation about adolescent health,” said lead author Steven Kamper from the University of Sydney in Australia.

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Back pain linked to substance abuse in teenagers

Adolescents who experience back pain are more likely to frequently smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and report problems like anxiety and depression.

BS | A new study noted that during adolescence, the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (pain arising from the bones, joints or muscles) in general, and back pain, in particular, rises steeply. Although often dismissed as trivial and fleeting, adolescent back pain is responsible for substantial health care use, school absence, and interference with day-to-day activities in some children.

Researchers used data collected from approximately 6500 teenagers. The proportion of participants reporting smoking, drinking, and missing school rose incrementally with increasing frequency of pain.++

For example, 14 to 15-year-olds who experienced pain more than once a week were 2-3 times more likely to have had alcohol or smoked in the past month than those who rarely or never had pain. Similarly, students who experienced pain more than once a week were around twice as likely to have missed school in the previous term.

The trend with anxiety and depression was less clear, although there was a marked difference between the children who reported no pain and those who reported frequent pain.

Back pain and unhealthy behaviors not only occur together but also track into adulthood. This means that they are responsible for current issues, and also have implications for future health. Adolescent back pain may play a role in characterizing overall poor health, and risk of chronic disease throughout life.

Lead author, Steven Kamper said, “Findings like this provide an argument that we should be including pain in the broader conversation about adolescent health.”

The researchers involved with the study believe this is of concern because the developing brain may be susceptible to negative influences of toxic substances, and use in early adolescence may increase the risk of substance abuse and mental health problems in later life.

The full findings are present in the Journal of Public Health.