Description

Depression is an extremely common illness, and can strike as many as 15% of the population at some stage in their lives. Depression is roughly twice to three times as common in females as males, although the reason for this is not clear. It is possible that this difference relates to societal role and identity issues, or it may relate to innate biological differences that are poorly understood.
What is increasingly overwhelmingly demonstrated by recent research advances is that depression is a disease, with measurable changes in a vast number of areas. Perhaps the most important are alterations in the brains chemical transmitter systems, and a huge body of literature exists documenting these changes in a large number of neurotransmitters. In addition, changes in brain metabolism and blood flow patterns have been replicated in many studies. These changes tend to reverse on successful treatment. It is part of folklore that “you are run down, that’s why you have caught the bug”; new research unequivocally shows that one’s immune system is altered in depression.