Articles

The following is a collection of articles you may find interesting and/ or helpful, or just good reading!   All are relevant in some way.

These are from various sources and have been reproduced within depressioNet.org.au with permission from the authors and copyright owners.  Some will link to external websites for full articles or more information.   ENJOY!

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Depression News  A direct link to a site providing current news items relating to depression

ScienceDaily: Depression News  Another page providing relevant current news items

The ‘massive highs and miserable lows’ of bipolar disorder The condition can be lethal
Bipolar is a disorder characterised by mood swings, from excessive highs to excessive lows. A person with Bipolar I has episodes of mania – sometimes with psychotic features – and episodes of depression. February 17 2012

Depression linked to heart attacks Depression may increase risk
A study by Australia’s Charles Sturt University has found people with depression could be at greater risk of a heart attack or heart disease. skynews.com.au January 5 2012

Disorders diagnosed to suit any condition New conditions proposed for Manual of Mental Disorders
New conditions proposed for the fifth edition of the psychiatrist’s bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which is due to be finalised next year, have caused an international outcry. smh.com.au December 4 2011

Psychiatrist Sidney Bloch talks about psychiatry Confusion and fears about mental illness
“I have learned through my clinical and research endeavours that I have many validated treatment strategies at my disposal to assist people with troubled minds.”  smh.com.au November 28 2011

Mental health counselling cuts hit hard Number of sessions paid by Medicare reduced
Following a $580 million cut to the Better Access program in November, the number of yearly counselling sessions mental health patients can claim from Medicare dropped from 18 to 10.  smh.com.au November 28 2011

Policy to be run by those who have battled depression New NSW Mental Health Commission
The NSW minister for mental health, Kevin Humphries, says it means that the commission’s work will be informed by the direct and personal experience of mental illness of one of its senior officials.   smh.com.au November 24 2011

Nearly quarter of global workforce depressed New study from management consultant firm
Of 1,200 respondents, 92 percent linked the current state of their mental health to job performance huffingtonpost.com November 11 2011.

Depression treatment beyond Jeff Kennett Psychologist cautions against an oversimplified view
After 10 years of good groundwork, do we need something new from Beyond Blue and other key mental health institutions?  nsw.psnews (published here November 5 2011)

Teen depression: what you need to know The prevalence of depression has people stumped
The reality is that the incidence of adolescent depression is increasing. Research indicates that the average on-set age of depression in 1960 was thirty years or older. Today it is fifteen years or younger.   mamamia.com.au November 4 2011

Men lost, confused and insecure and that’s good to know say therapists
More than twice the number of men are accessing Medicare-funded mental health services compared with five years ago, official figures show. At the same time, therapists are reporting more men are coming to seek help as they struggle to find their place.  news.com.au October 26 2011

Depression and anxiety disorders Telling the difference
While depression and anxiety are characterised as distinct syndromes, they co-occur in over half of all cases. So are they different presentations of the same disorder?  theconversation.edu.au August 29 2011

Selling sickness or dulling pain Pros and cons of antidepressants
Are health professionals treating normal sadness as a clinical disorder and over-prescribing antidepressants? Or is depression a disease manufactured by Big Pharma to sell more antidepressants, as some have suggested?  theconversation.edu.au June 17 2011

Bosses ignorant of mental health issues  Survey of people who have a mental illness
SANE Australia’s survey of 520 people found most mentally ill people get no understanding from their employer and many find it hard to keep their job because of a lack of flexibility.  ABC Radio National, August 25th 2011

Suicide girls on antidepressants banned in Britain  Antidepressants linked to juvenile suicide
TWO 16-year-old girls who hanged themselves while under the watch of Queensland's child safety officials had been prescribed antidepressants that have been linked to juvenile suicide and banned from use by young people in Britain.  The Australian, August 25th 2011

Miracle at The Gap: the day Nellie tried to end it and came out alive  Nellie saved by a freak wave
Through an extraordinary, once-in-a-century quirk of fate, a freak wave engulfs the rocks below with such a flood that she hits deep water instead. She’s alive!  The Sydney Morning Herald, August 22nd 2011

From the Darkness Within  The increasing prevalence of depression and anxiety in males
Men are increasingly prone to these conditions, with dangerous, often-fatal consequences. Men are much less likely to talk about their problems or to seek help, and in the past 30 years the suicide rate for males aged 15 to 24 years has tripled.  theweeklyreview.com.au, June 2nd 2011

Should children be given anti-depressants?  Arguments for and against medicating children
Now news has emerged children aged six and under are being prescribed the drugs at a soaring rate and antidepressants are once again setting off alarm bells.  The Australian Women's Weekly, May 30th 2011

Budget 2011-12:  Patrick McGorry on mental health
Professor Patrick McGorry talks about the new funding for mental health.  ABC, May 11th 2011

Love, Wisdom, Motherhood:  A long time campaigner on mental health issues
Jessica Rowe talks about her experience and book in the linked podcast.  ABC, May 5th 2011

Gene linked to depression:  suspect gene linked to major depression
German scientists made the discovery after comparing DNA from more than 15,000 depressed and healthy patients.  The Sydney Morning Herald, April 29 2011

Doctors issue warning on Facebook use:  Possible benefits and risks
Some connect Facebook with depression but others say using the site is not "going to somehow infect kids with depression".  news.com.au, March 28 2011

Deep Brain Stimulation:  Electrode treatment aiding mentally ill
deep brain stimulation – was emerging as a safe and effective treatment for severe depression and obsessive compulsive disorder.  The Age, March 2nd 2011

Choose Life:  Reducing youth suicide
Dr Jane Burns talks about a major new initiative aimed at reducing youth suicide, and encourages people to talk more.  The Age, February 14th 2011

Depression No Joke for Blokes:  Depression cuts years off the lives of Australian men
Depression cuts more years off the lives of Australian men than liver disease and colon cancer.  The Advertiser, December 20 2010

Call To Fill Mental Health Void:  Improving access to psychological therapies
Australia should trial a UK-based program that is helping people with moderate depression and anxiety, and which could fill a major gap in existing services, says a leading psychiatrist.  The Sydney Morning Herald, November 24, 2010

Disease Model Could Limit Treatment:   An opinion
An interesting article written by a practicing psychologist, Lyn Bender. Her main argument is that the medical model of depression is too simplistic and not overly helpful. A more helpful view of depression is a biographical model which looks at the person’s story.  November 16, 2010

Politicians hailed for facing up to depression:  Depression long linked to politics
Their high public profile also helps explain why a rash of MPs at state and federal level – most recently the former prime minister Bob Hawke – have revealed their struggles with the illness.  July 16 2010

Dads Need PND Advice:  Australian websites lack support for Dads
A review of popular parenting and mental health websites has shown how, when it comes to dealing with postnatal depression, dads are often overlooked.  March 8, 2010

Unhealthy Diet Could Fuel Depression In Women:  A good diet may support mental well-being
Women who suffer from depression and anxiety may want to take a look at their diet as a possible contributor to these conditions, study findings suggest.  The Sydney Morning Herald, January 15, 2010

Many Still Believe Depression Comes With Motherhood:  Mothers less likely to seek help
Most people think depression is a ''normal'' part of pregnancy and women do not need treatment, according to a survey by the mental health group beyondblue.  The Sydney Morning Herald, November 16, 2009

Tai Chi May Fight Obesity, Depression:  Initial trial extremely encouraging
A Tai Chi-based exercise program is being hailed as a breakthrough in the fight against depression, diabetes and obesity.  A research project was under way when this article was published.  The Age, January 20, 2010

Sleep Deprivation Tied To Depression:  Hyper-arousal is not just a problem at night
Up to 10 per cent of the Australian population suffers from chronic insomnia, a leading expert says, and for them it's a debilitating condition with potentially only one upside.  The Sydney Morning Herald, July 31, 2009 

Is Depression Overdiagnosed?  - A debate by two of Australia's leading psychiatrists
Rates of diagnosis of depression have risen steeply in recent years. Gordon Parker believes this is because current criteria are medicalising sadness, but Ian Hickie argues that many people are still missing out on lifesaving treatment.  Published August 16, 2007

The Bottom Line – Thoughts on taking control of depression
I think most of us are searching for that 'bottom line'… an understanding of the point to our painful existence.  As many of you know, the journey to the bottom is loathsome.  Nathan shares his thoughts on ways to turn some of the negatives into positives for us, and what works for him.

Slipping Through The Cracks – Traversing Australia's Mental Health System
For the 1 in 5 Australians who suffer from depression Chloe’s story is all too familiar. The battle for most does not stop with the illness itself, once diagnosed, sufferers find themselves navigating the wreck that is our public mental health system, looking for care that will never come, before finally falling through the cracks.

The Evolution of Depression – Does it have a role?
An interesting philosophical discussion in the form of an ABC Radio interview conducted by Natasha Mitchell with 2 evolutionary biologists.  January, 2005

Stop Your Depression Before It Starts – An overview of possible preventative strategies
Until we can find out for certain what chemical changes occur when someone becomes depressed, and find out what triggers them, we will not even begin to be able to discover whether one can prevent depression.

Ethnicity and Depression
Ethnicity may play a role in how people respond to antidepressants, with new research showing that those of Chinese background are more sensitive to the medication than Caucasians.  October 25, 2004

Development And Exploration Of  A New Model For Understanding Depression
This paper presents a model of depression that is an elaboration of the currently dominant 'biopsychosocial' model.  It is very long, (approx 6,000 words) and includes a good overview of possible causes and treatments for depression.

Critical Condition - A parents nightmare journey with his son
Jason Bond suffered from a depressive illness. He was 20 years old when he killed himself after being discharged from a Melbourne hospital. Here, Graeme Bond recalls the events leading up to his son’s death, which he blames partly on the poor state of mental health care in Victoria.  (The Age, March 17th 2004)

The Ageing of Discontent - The disturbing reality of suicide in our elderly
Every morning my friend visits a Melbourne nursing home to help his mother get out of bed and dressed for the day. Every morning, without fail, she tells him that she wishes she were dead.  (The Australian, February 2004)

Depression a key suspect in dementia cases
Feeling depressed for long periods without receiving treatment creates degenerative changes to the brain, making sufferers more susceptible to dementia later in life, new research has revealed.   (News Limited, 21-22/02/2004)

Understanding Depression
Around 800,000 Australian adults suffer from depression every year, and on average, one in five people will experience clinical depression at some time in their lives.  Depression is the leading cause of suicide, yet it is often misunderstood and regarding as somewhat less serious than a physical illness.   (Women's Fitness and Health, March 2004)

Some Thoughts on the Causes of My Depression
Long term depression sufferer Nigel Sinnott shares an honest and well-researched discussion of the possible causes of his own depression.