What is Unipolar Depression
Unipolar depression is another name for major depressive disorder. It is a mood disorder characterized by a depressed mood, a lack of interest in activities normally enjoyed, changes in weight and sleep, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness and guilt, difficulty concentrating and thoughts of death and suicide.
Although there is some debate about whether unipolar depression is a form of bipolar disorder, the evidence currently seems to support the idea that there are two distinct but related illnesses at work. Firstly, unipolar depression (lifetime prevalence being approximately 5%) occurs more commonly than bipolar disorder (lifetime prevalence of approximately 1%). Also, more women are affected by unipolar depression than by bipolar disorder.
There is some debate about whether unipolar depression is a form of bipolar disorder, the evidence currently seems to support the idea that there are two distinct but related illnesses at work. Firstly, unipolar depression (lifetime prevalence being approximately 5%) occurs more commonly than bipolar disorder (lifetime prevalence of approximately 1%). Also, more women are affected by unipolar depression than by bipolar disorder. Furthermore, bipolar disorder has an onset at a younger age on average, and shorter intervals between episodes once it is established, thus producing more episodes during a lifetime.
The major cortical region defined in this manner was statistically tested on a second set of subjects. Using this strategy, we found increased BF in an area that extended from the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex onto the medial prefrontal cortical surface.
Cause Unipolar Depression :
The cause of depression are likely to be different for different people. Sometimes a depressive episode can appear to come out of nowhere at a time when everything seems to be going fine.
Some types of depression seem to run in families, but depression can also occur in people who have no family history of the illness. Stressful life changes or events can trigger depression in some people. Usually, a combination of factors is involved.
Treatment for unipolar disorder
Medication for Unipolar
Depression/Disorder:
There are several types of antidepressant medications used to treat depressive disorders. These include newer medications-chiefly the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
(SSRIs)-the tricyclics, and the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). The SSRIs-and other newer medications that affect neurotransmitters such as dopamine or norepinephrine-generally have fewer side effects than tricyclics. Get more info on Medication for unipolar disorder.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a process in which a trained professional enters a relationship with a patient for the purpose of helping the patient with symptoms of mental illness, behavioral problems or personal growth. The process involves the patient and therapist sitting in a room talking, which is why it is often called “talk therapy.”
Recently, novel antipsychotics have shown some promise for the management of depressive disorders. From a mechanistic standpoint, the pharmacological properties of at least some of these drugs predict antidepressant properties. Novel antipsychotics act, to varying degrees, on a variety of dopamine, serotonin (5HT), glutamate and other receptors.
