depression

What is depression?

A feeling of sadness, hopelessness, loneliness, a sense of futility in life and inability to think clearly or take any action, says Dr Suresh Venkita, a medical doctor with the Pacific International Hospital.

World Health Day for 2017 passed by on April 7 with the focus on ‘depression’.

Here, Dr Venkita, also the Chief Physician at PIH, discusses depression.

He says, even getting out of bed becomes an impossible task and there is no will to face the day.

What it's like to parent with mental illness

Anne Buist, professor of women's mental health at the University of Melbourne, said we were struggling to support women with severe mental health issues.

"Maternal suicide is actually the leading cause of maternal deaths," she said.

"We've managed to treat infections, we've improved our ability to bring blood pressure down, but we are still battling to get on top of these really serious mental health problems."

However Professor Buist said having a mental illness did not mean you could not parent; it may just mean you needed extra support.

What if your anxiety could be useful?

In it, Wilson — journalist, ex-reality TV host, sugar-quitter, author — describes her experiences with what she calls anxiety spirals and how they take over the "everyday beige buzzing or background anxiety" she feels most days.

An often-innocuous moment — such as someone not calling when they said they would, or not being able to decide weekend plans — will set in motion a deluge of anxious thoughts and competing potential fixes that builds into a screeching (bath draining) crescendo.

Anti-depressant prescriptions double in 10 years, claims new study

Around 61 million prescriptions were made in 2015, more than double the 30 million written in 2005, according to the University College London study.

The average patient now takes medication for six months, compared to just under four months in 1995.

But the number of people diagnosed with depression is almost unchanged.

Your experiences on anti-depressants

Lauren Harris, 23 - 'It's an easy solution for the NHS'

"I've been on various anti-depressants for the last five years, since I turned 18," Lauren tells Newsbeat.

Facebook lurking makes you miserable, says study

A University of Copenhagen study suggests excessive use of social media can create feelings of envy.

It particularly warns about the negative impact of "lurking" on social media without connecting with anyone.

The study suggests taking a break from using social media.

The study of more than 1,000 participants, mostly women, says that "regular use of social networking such as Facebook can negatively affect your emotional well-being and satisfaction with life".

 

'Unrealistic social comparisons'

How to stop city life from stressing you out

This is just a glimpse of what life can be like when living in a big city, so it comes as no surprise that people regularly get stressed out. But the problem may go deeper.

Some studies have shown that city dwellers may have a 21% greater likelihood of developing anxiety disorders, and a 39% increased risk of mood disorders, compared to people living more rurally.

Harry Potter actor Devon Murray had 'suicidal thoughts'

He posted online that it has been something he's been going through for the past 10 years.

Earlier this year he had "suicidal thoughts", he says, and encouraged more people to talk about.

In April, the 27-year-old was forced to pay his former agent 260,000 euros (£210,000) in unpaid commission.

The high court judge said he was sorry some of his earnings, close to a million euros, went on pursuits that "were not helpful".

Depression: New blood test could result in personalised treatment

The researchers said doctors should in future be able to direct depressed patients with a certain level of inflammation in their blood towards earlier treatment with a more potent course of anti-depressants — possibly including combining two medications — before they get worse.

"This study moves us a step closer to providing personalised anti-depressant treatment at the earliest signs of depression," said Annamaria Cattaneo, who led the work at King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN).

Antidepressants are a much-needed therapy, not a threat: Evidence

Estimates of depression rates during pregnancy vary between 5.5 percent to 33.1 percent -- a wide range that indicates more research is needed on the issue.

Six health conditions that raise the risk of heart disease

Seemingly unrelated diseases that affect your skin, brain, or mouth can cause changes that eventually threaten your heart.

Luckily, the reverse is also true. Steps that improve heart health, including exercising and eating a healthy diet, can also help prevent and treat many other illnesses. Here are six conditions that can place your heart in peril—and how you can reduce your risk.

1. Arthritis