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Depressive Illness
Dr. Craig Jackson
Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology
Faculty of Health
BCU
health.bcu.ac.uk/craigjackson
[email protected]
“The good physician
treats the disease,
but the great physician
treats the person.”
William Osler
Traditional model of Disease Development
Pathogen
Modifiers
Lifestyle
Individual susceptibility
Disease (pathology)
Dominance of the biopsychosocial model
Mainstream in last 15 years
Hazard
Illness (well-being)
Psychosocial Factors
Attitudes
Behaviour
Quality of Life
Rise of the person as
a “psychological
entity”
Depressive Illness
Usually treatable
Common
Marked disability
Reduced survival
Increased costs
Depression may be
Coincidental association
Complication of physical illness (i.e. “secondary depression”)
Cause of / Exacerbation of somatic symptoms
Psychiatry in Pictures – Steve Blundell
Digital Cry
Stapled Red
Depressive Illness
2% of population suffer from pure depression
(evenly distributed between mild, moderate, and severe)
Further 8% suffer from a mixture of anxiety and depression
Patients with symptoms not severe enough to qualify for diagnosis of either
anxiety or depression..... ???
Impaired working and social lives and many unexplained physical symptoms
Greater use of medical services
“Walking Well”
Spectrum of mood disturbance
Mild
thru to
Severe
Transience
thru to
Persistence
Continuous distribution in population
Clinically significant when:
(1) interferes with normal activities
(2) persists for min. 2 weeks
Diagnosis of depression / depressive disorder
“Persistent & pervasive low mood”
“Loss of interest or pleasure in activities”
“Ennui”
Epidemiology
2nd biggest cause of disability
worldwide by 2020 (WHO)
(IHD still the biggest)
Associated with increased
physical illness
• 5% during lifetime have MDD
• 1 in 20 consultations
• 100 patients per GP
• MDD & Dysthmia > in females
• 20% develop chronic depression
• 30% of in-patients have depressive symptoms
Suicide
Suicide
Final clinical pathway
1 million deaths per year, 10-12 million attempts
UK
Males – most common in older
Female – most common in middle age
Steady decline since 1990
5,554 suicide deaths in UK 2006
15 per 100,000 deaths males
6 per 100,000 deaths females
Almost 50% fail on first attempt
Previous attempters 23 times more likely to dies from suicide than those
without previous attempts
Internal stress
Pre-existing psychiatric morbidity
Demographics
Opportunities
Stack 2001
Behavioural Indicators
- recent bereavement or other life-altering loss
- recent break-up of a close relationship
- major disappointment (failed exams or missed job promotion)
- change in circumstances (retire, redundant or children leaving home)
- physical illness
- mental illness
- substance misuse / addiction
- deliberate self-harm, (particularly in women)
- previous suicide attempts
- loss of close friend / relative by suicidal means
- loss of status
- feelings of hopelessness, powerlessness and worthlessness
- declining performance in work / activities (sometimes this can be reversed)
- declining interest in friends, sex, or previous activities
- neglect of personal welfare and hygiene
- alterations in sleeping habits (either direction) or eating habits
Case Summary of a Depressed Patient #1
Date
Symptoms
Referral
1985 (16)
Anorexia
Secure unit teenagers
1986 (17)
Suicide attempt
Secure unit teenagers
1986 (17)
Self-harm
(A levels)
Secure unit CAMHS
Psychiatry - ECT unsubstantiated
1987-9
(18-20)
Self-harm. Anorexia
(university)
UMC
1990
(21)
Working as au pair
(left university)
GP monitoring & anti-depressants
1993
Self-harm
Secure unit admission
(24)
(joined commune)
Female. Abused by father from 6 to 15. Moved to boarding school, then to grandparents
Insomnia - Feeling worthless – Guilt - Recurrent morbid thought - Bleak views - Self harm – Suicide Ideation
Scholastically bright. University. Dropped out. Tried own business. Business failed.
Admin working.
Epidemiology
Depression more common in those with:
•
Life threatened / limited / chronic physical illness
•
Unpleasant / demanding treatment
•
Low social support
•
Adverse social circumstances
•
Personal / family history of depression / psychological vulnerability
•
Substance misuse
•
Anti-hypertensive / Corticosteroid / Chemotherapy use
Aetiology
Most depressions have triggering life events - Reactive depression
Especially in a first episode
Many patients present initially with physical symptoms (somatization)
Some may show multiple symptoms of depression in the apparent absence
of low mood - “Masked Depression”
Some depression has no triggering cause - “Endogenous Depression”
More persistent and resistant to treatment
Clinical Features
• Adjustment
Disorders
mild
short-lived
reactive episodes
•
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
5 symptoms displayed in 14 days
•
Dysthymia
depressed mood for 2+ years
not severe
chronic depression
unhealthy lifestyle associations
•
Bipolar Disorder / manic depression
major depression & mania
Major depression (DSM IV)
5 or more…..
• decreased interest / pleasure *
• depressed mood *
• reduced energy
• weight gain / loss
• insomnia / hypersomnia
• feeling worthless
• guilt
• recurrent morbid thought
• psychomotor changes
• fatigue
• poor concentration
• pessimism / bleak views
• self harm ideas / actions
• suicide ideation
Classification of Depression (ICD-10)
Primary
Unipolar
 Mixed anxiety and depressive disorder (prominent anxiety)
 Depressive episode (single episode)
 Recurrent depressive disorder (recurrent episodes)
 Dysthymia - Persistent and mild ("depressive personality")
Bipolar
Bipolar affective disorder - manic episodes ("manic depression")
Cyclothymia - Persistent instability of mood
Other primary
Seasonal affective disorder
Brief recurrent depression
Depressive episode may be
Moderate or severe
With/Without somatic syndrome
With/Without psychotic symptoms
Somatization Syndrome (DSM IV)
4 or more…..
Anhedonia
Loss of emotional reactivity
Early waking (>2 hours early)
Psychomotor retardation or agitation
Marked loss of appetite
Weight loss >5% of body mass in one month
Loss of libido
Linking Emotions with Physical Symptoms
Case Summary of a Depressed Patient #2
Date
Symptoms
Referral
1985 (17)
Pervasive low mood
GP monitors
1986 (18)
Suicide attempt
Child Psychiatry
1986 (18)
Self-harm
Psychiatry
1987 (19)
Anorexia. Self-harm
Psychiatry – CPN
1988 (20)
Suicide attempt
(failed romance)
Psychiatry – CPN
1989 (21)
Suicide attempt
(failed romance)
Psychiatry – CPN
1990 (22)
Fertility worries
Psychiatry – CPN – fertility counselling
1990 (22)
Working in office
GP monitoring & anti-depressants
1992 (24)
Self-harm
MH unit (open door policy) CPN
1996 (26)
Chronic Fatigue
MH unit (open door policy) CPN
1998 (28)
Fibromyalgia
MH unit (open door policy) CPN
Risk Factors – Existing Health Conditions
Depressed Patients and “Positive Symptoms”
Rosemary Carson
Sensations of maggots moving within her body
Depressed, attempted suicide at the age of 15
Spent long periods of early adult life in psychiatric hospitals
Treated with medication and electro convulsive therapy
17-year remission in affective symptoms and sensations of maggots
By 1996 became ill again - began to hear voices
Her art captures memories of fellow patients and situations from earlier admissions
Depressed Patients and Positive Symptoms
Rosemary Carson - The Hospital Ward at Night
Classification
• Many patients do not fit neatly into categories of either anxiety or depression
• Mixed anxiety and depression is now recognised
• Presence of physical symptoms indicates a somatic syndrome
• Value of somatic features in predicting response to treatment is not clear
• Presence of psychotic features has major implications for treatment
• Brief episodes of more severe depression are also recognised
(brief recurrent depression)
• More prolonged recurrence is now termed recurrent depressive disorder
Return to Work
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
% returning to work
Longer off work = Less likely to return to work
<1 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
months not working
Waddell, 1994
Risk Factors
Anxiety + Sadness + Somatic discomfort
Normal psychological response to life stress
Clinical depression is a “final common pathway”
Resulting from interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors
Likelihood of this outcome depends on many factors:
• genetic and family predisposition
• clinical course of concurrent medical illness
• nature of any treatment
• functional disability
• individual coping style
• social and other support
Risk Factors - Causality
Certain illnesses such (stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and
pancreatic cancer) may cause depression via direct bio mechanisms.
Stroke received most attention, but studies fail to show convincing direct
aetiology
Psychological Consequences of Chronic Illness
e.g. Cancer
• Distress
• Reduced QoL
• Delay seeking help
Fear
Denial
• Depressed / Anxious
• Increased somatic complaints (Pain Fatigue Breathlessness)
Adjustment Disorder – commonest psychiatric diagnosis
Neuropsychiatric complications
Increased risk of suicide in early stages
Depression in Cancer Patients
• Response to perceived loss
• Awareness of losses to come = bereavement
• Loss of body, family, friends, role, life
• Severe depression X4 likely in cancer patients
• 10-20% of cancer patients
Behavioural Responses to Diagnoses
Hedonism
Put life in order
Premature grieving
ADAPTIVE COPING
Talk about it
Planning
Changes
Sick Role
Illness Behaviour
Over-sensitivity to symptoms
Premature death
MALADAPTIVE COPING
Drink
Eat
Substance use
Neuropsychiatric Complications
Brain metastases:
Delirium
Dementia
Depression
Produce psych. symptoms before discovery
• Paraneoplastic Syndromes
Neuropsychiatric problems in absence of metastases
Orig. lung, ovary, breast, stomach, or Hodgkin’s
Neuropsychiatric syndromes
• 61 yr old female
• Frontal headaches for 3 months
• Lethargic and weak
• Difficulty walking
• Diffuse areas of nodular destructive
lesions
• Consistent with multiple myeloma or
metastatic disease
• Skeleton is common site for mets from carcinomas and occasionally sarcomas
• Lesions may be “silent” or symptomatic, such as pain, swelling, deformity,
compression of the spinal cord, nerve roots, or pathologic fractures.
Recognition & Diagnosis
Often missed in diagnoses
1. Distinguish depressed behaviour (sadness and loss of interest), from
realistic expected response to stress / physical illness
2. Confusion of whether physical symptoms of depression are due to
underlying medical condition
3. Negative attitudes to diagnosis of depression
4. Unsuitability of clinical setting for discussing personal & emotional
matters
5. Patients' unwilling to report symptoms of depression
Recognition & Diagnosis
Depressive illness is often under-diagnosed and under-treated
Especially if it coexists with physical illness
This often causes great distress for patients: mistakenly assumed
that symptoms (weakness or fatigue) are due to an underlying medical
condition.
Practitioners must be able to diagnose and manage depressive illness
• Alertness to clues in interviews
• Patients' manner
Use of screening questions can detect up to 95% of patients with major
depression.
Screening Questionnaires
“How have you been feeling recently?”
“Have you been low in spirits?”
“Have you been able to enjoy the things you usually enjoy?”
“Have you had your usual level of energy, or have you been feeling tired?”
“How has your sleep been?”
“Have you been able to concentrate on your favourite tv shows?”
Self-report screening instruments
Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)
Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HAD)
Can’t replace systematic clinical assessment – LISTENING
Persistent low mood and lack of interest and pleasure in life cannot be
accounted for by severe physical illness alone
Non-Specific Symptoms
Often missed in assessment
Prevalence of Non-Specific Symptoms
Symptom
Prevalence %
Stuffy nose
46.2
Headaches
Tiredness
Cough
Itchy eyes
Sore throat
Skin rash
Wheezing
Respiratory
Nausea
Diarrhoea
Vomiting
33.0
29.8
25.9
24.7
22.4
12.0
10.1
10.0
9.0
5.7
4.0
Heyworth & McCaul, 2001
Modern day complaints
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Sick Building Syndrome
Gulf War Syndrome
Low-level Chemical Exposure
Electrical Sensitivity
Fibromyalgia
Historical complaints
Railway Spine
Neurasthenia
Combat Syndrome
Drug Treatment
Tricyclics
since the 1950s effective and cheap
limit compliance variable degrees of sedation
fatal in overdose (except Lofepramine)
dose-related anticholinergic side effects
postural hypotension
Monoamine Oxidise Inhibitors (MAOI’s)
rare fatalities
tyramine-free diet
Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRI’s)
fluoxetine
lack sedation
no anticholinergic effects
improved compliance
less immediate benefit for disturbed sleep
safe in overdose
single or narrow range of doses works
Placebo & Nocebo
In approx. 30% of pop.
Subjected to more clinical trials than any other medicament
Nearly always does better than anticipated
The range of susceptible conditions seems limitless
Does not always occur
Present in subjective and objective outcomes
Negative outcomes can occur (Nocebo effect)
Placebo
Big pills better than smaller pills
Red pills better than blue
4 pills better than 2
30% of pop.
Long Term Prognosis
Identifying Unhelpful Patient Beliefs
Discuss potential unhelpful beliefs
Counter any simple aetiological beliefs
Outline biopsychosocial perspective
Can highlight potential perpetual factors that inhibit recovery
Agree on positive open minded approach
Do not argue over best name for condition!
Treatment
Much depressive illness of all types is successfully treated in primary care
Four main reasons for referral to specialist psychiatric services:
1) Condition is severe
2) Failing to respond to treatment (e.g. Psychomotor retardation)
3) Complicated by other factors (e.g. Personality disorder)
4) Presents particular risks (e.g. Agitation and psychotic behaviour)
• Principal decision is whether to treat with drugs or a talking therapy
• Most patients in primary care settings would prefer a talking therapy
• Effectiveness is limited to particular forms of psychotherapy
• Mild-Mod. Depression: CBT and antidepressants are equally effective
• Severe Depression: antidepressant drugs are more effective
Management
The main aims of treatment:
• improve mood and quality of life
• reduce the risk of medical complications
• improve compliance with and outcome of physical treatment
• facilitate the "appropriate" use of healthcare resources
Primary care staff should be familiar with properties and use of:
1) common antidepressant drugs & brief psychological treatments
2) assessment of suicidal thinking and risk
Patients with more enduring or severe symptoms will usually require specific
treatment - usually drug therapy
For patients with suicidal ideation / whose depression has not responded to
initial management, specialist referral is the next step
Management
Low level risk
Clinical picture
Suicidal ideation
but no suicide attempts
Supportive environment
Physically healthy
No history of psychiatric illness
Action
Consider referral to mental health
professional for routine appointment
(not always necessary)
Management
Moderate level risk
Clinical picture
Low lethality suicide attempt
(patient's perception of lethality)
Frequent thoughts of suicide
Previous suicide attempts
Persistent depressive symptoms
Serious medical illness
Inadequate social support
History of psychiatric illness
Action
Refer to mental health professional
to be seen as soon as possible
Management
High level risk
Clinical picture
Definite plan for suicide
(When? Where? How?)
Action
Refer to mental health professional
for immediate assessment
Major depressive disorder
High lethality suicide attempt or multiple attempts
Advanced medical disease
Social isolation
History of psychiatric illness
Summary
• Detection can be hard – symptom overlap and patient unaware
• Depression a natural occurrence in population
• Whole range of depressive conditions with varying severity
• Depression can be present in acute or chronic states
• Depression can have physiological, biological or social causes
• Depression may have a mixture of causes
• Depression co-exists with many other symptoms
• Depression is a natural reaction to disease diagnosis and presence
• Depression and symptomotology are highly related