Stress And Depression

Course overview

Approximately 18.8 million Americans suffer from depression annually. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 2 million Americans aged 65 and older have a depressive illness and a disproportionate number of older Americans are likely to die by suicide. This course is important for licensees, because, while depression is more common in women, the highest rates of suicide are among white males age 85 and older and it is important to understand the different stages of life that stress and depression can occur. In addition, depression often accompanies other serious, chronic illnesses such as stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Parkinson?s disease (NIMH, 2003). This course will help licensees to recognize the most prevalent forms of depression and to identify the symptoms of depression and mania. This course will help participants to understand the theories of depression, and appreciate the differences in presentation across age groups and sexes. The course also describes the various treatment modalities. Depressive illness includes a person?s body, mood and thought processes. It negatively affects behaviors such as eating and sleeping and often impairs pain perception, cognition, memory and self-esteem.