In the US, the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve is filled with parties, family, good food, gifts, and togetherness. It’s a time when love, forgiveness, and good cheer are in the air.
Or, at least, that is how the holidays are depicted by the media.
For many, the holidays are a time of stress, loneliness, and depression.
The American Journal of Medicine’s website AmJMed.com has a wealth of articles on the diagnosis and treatment of depression and a link to a continuing medication supplement on depression.
Here is a collection of links from the Journal…
Assessing and Treating Depression in Primary Care Medicine
A highly readable, basic guide to the diagnosis and treatment of depression and bipolar disorder. This includes tables of symptoms and medications.
Psychotropic Drug Considerations in Depressed Patients with Metabolic Disturbances
Depression, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome are conditions often seen by primary physicians. They are conditions that often occur together. How are depression and antidepressant use linked to obesity and diabetes?
Depression, Dietary Habits, and Cardiovascular Events Among Women with Suspected Myocardial Ischemia
Women with depression had lower levels of fruit and vegetable consumption and poor dietary habits. They were also far more likely to be cigarette smokers.
Components of Depression and 6-Year Mortality After an Acute Coronary Syndrome
In patients with acute coronary syndrome, those died had higher scores on a standard depression scale.
Treatment of Depression in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease
Evidence shows that the common co-occurrence of depression and coronary heart disease is not random but driven by depression as a risk factor for the occurrence and progression of coronary heart disease. This link is due, in part, to the impact that depression has on neuroendocrine pathways.
NSAIDs Are Associated with Lower Depression Scores in Patients with Osteoarthritis
Depression is 2-3 times more prevalent in people with osteoarthritis. Pooled data from multiple studies suggest that nonsteroidal anti-inflamatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help reduce depression in these patients.
