Unipolar depression : a lifespan perspective / edited by Ian M. Goodyer.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Goodyer, Ian M.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Depression, Mental.

Depressive Disorder.

Medical Subjects:

Depressive Disorder.

Physical Description:

xi, 211 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2003.

Summary:

Unipolar depression is one of the most prevalent and serious of the mental health disorders. It can result in chronic mental and physical ill health, social difficulties, and suicide. The disorder occurs across the lifespan, but its characteristics and outcomes vary with the age of the sufferer. Children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly may all present with a depressive illness but the characteristics, response to treatment, and final outcome show considerable variations between age groups. The extent to which genetic and environmental factors and processes contribute to the onset may be influenced by the developmental components of human growth and ageing. Equally, the social context within which depressions occur are not the same at different points in life. There are also known to be differences in relative responses to psychological and pharmacological treatments across the lifespan. Unipolar depression: a lifespan perspective examines these, and other, issues, focusing on the continuities and discontinuities that arise in the nature of the disorder and how genetic, hormonal, psychological, and social processes operate differentially throughout life. The chapters are written by major figures from the field of clinical research into depressive illness. This will be essential reading for all mental health professionals with an interest in mood disorders as well as those responsible for devising mental health policy and planning services.

Contents:

1 Characteristics of unipolar depressions / Ian M. Goodyer 1

Clinical constituents of depression 1

Detecting depressive signs and symptoms 2

Depressive syndromes 3

Risk for major depressions 7

Risk mechanisms that result in affective symptoms and disorders 11

2 Intergenerational transmission of affective and cognitive processes associated with depression: infancy and the pre-school years / Lynne Murray, Peter Cooper 17

The impact of postnatal depression

why a cause for concern? 18

The epidemiology of postpartum depression 19

Evidence for a specific association between postnatal depression and adverse infant and child outcome 20

Cognitive functioning 21

Socioemotional and behavioural outcome 22

Mediating mechanisms 26

The relative contributions of infant and maternal factors to eventual child outcome 32

Clinical implications 33

3 Unipolar depression

a lifespan perspective: 'The School Age Child' / Boris Birmaher, John Samuel Rozel 47

Epidemiology 47

Clinical characteristics 48

Etiology 48

Course 50

Outcome 52

Treatment 52

4 Adolescence / Richard Harrington 67

Concepts 67

Diagnosis and classification 68

Epidemiology 69

Course and outcome 71

Aetiology 72

Assessment 74

Treatment 75

Promoting remission and preventing relapse 80

Prevention of depression 80

5 Early adult life / Peter M. Lewinsohn, John R. Seeley 95

The Oregon adolescent depression project 96

Continuity of depression and other psychopathology from adolescence to early adulthood 98

Risk factors for first onset and recurrent depression during young adulthood 104

Risk processes for first vs recurrent MDD episodes 109

Psychosocial functioning during young adulthood 110

Clinical implications and directions for future research 114

6 Depression in midlife / E. S. Paykel, N. Kennedy 123

Epidemiology 123

Clinical features 125

Aetiology: life stress 126

Genetics 129

Biological mechanisms 130

Acute treatment with medication 132

Continuation and maintenance treatment 134

Psychological treatments 134

Natural history, course and outcome 135

7 Later life / John O'Brien, Alan Thomas 147

Clinical features of late-life depression 147

Aetiological factors 149

Vascular disease and depression 151

Neuroimaging changes and depression 155

Vascular depression 157

Cognitive impairments and late-life depression 159

Treatment and outcome 164

8 Unipolar depression across the lifespan: issues and prospects / Ian M. Goodyer 181

The genetics of depression 181

The formation of risk 184

HPA axis activity over the lifespan 188

Mental dysfunctions and depression 190

Therapeutics 193.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0198510950

OCLC:

51316053