Is Depression A Chronic Medical Condition

Symptoms of depression may be different or less obvious in older adults such as.

Is depression a chronic medical condition. Just as chronic medical conditions affect the treatment of depression depressive symptoms can complicate treatment of chronic medical illness. This depression is termed by the dsm 5 as depressive disorder due to another medical condition. We suggest that this present impasse is due to the lack of recognition that depression can also be an acute time limited condition. Depression is one of the most common complications of chronic illness.

It s estimated that up to one third of people with a serious medical condition have symptoms of depression. Do not dismiss depression as a normal part of having a chronic illness. Effective treatment for depression is available and can help even if you have another medical illness or condition. Memory difficulties or personality changes physical aches or pain fatigue loss of appetite sleep problems or loss of interest in sex not caused by a medical condition or medication.

Depression is treatable even when other illness is present. People who have chronic illnesses must adjust to both the illness and its treatment. Paradoxically however research focusing on depression as a recurrent condition has generally failed to reveal any useful early indicators of risk for recurrence. It s a milder but chronic form of depression.

In fact depression is one of the most common complications of chronic illness. Depression associated with a chronic medical illness often aggravates the condition especially if the illness causes pain and fatigue or limits a person s ability to interact with others. Patients with depression share 2 characteristics that potentiate the challenges of chronic disease care. For example hypothyroidism which can result in weight gain can induce clinical psychiatric depression duntas and maillis 2013.

Certain conditions may put you at higher risk such as chronic illness insomnia chronic pain. In some cases depression can be a risk factor or an early.