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Depression and women

National Women's Health Report, August, 2003

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1-800-950-6264

http://www.nami.org

Advocacy organization that offers information and guidance for finding treatment.

National Foundation for Depressive Illness, Inc.

PO Box 2257

New York, NY 10116

1-800-239-1265

http://www.depression.org

Informs the public about depressive illness and treatment options.

National Institute of Mental Health

6001 Executive Boulevard

Bethesda, MD 20892-9663

1-866-615-6464

http://www.nimh.nih.gov

The premier federal research institution for the study of mood disorders; consumer information available.

National Mental Health Association

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2001 N. Beauregard Street, 12th Floor

Alexandria, VA 22311

1-800-969-6642

http://www.nmha.org

Provides information about medication, treatment and patient rights.

Postpartum Support International

http://www.postpartum.net

Offers online support and educational forum, including chat rooms and consumer information.

Depression Treatment Options

The treatment of depression received a huge boost 15 years ago with the introduction of Prozac, or fluoxetine, the first in a class of new drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, that have far fewer side effects than the older antidepressants. The old ones are still around and have their place in depression treatment.

They are not all the same, however, nor are they comparable in terms of their effectiveness or side effects, as the chart below shows. (10)

Drugs, however; are just one part of the treatment puzzle, with studies finding that 10 to 30 percent of patients taking antidepressants are partially or totally resistant to the treatment (although switching to different medications often resolves the resistance). (11) Various forms of therapy, particularly interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), a less intensive form of traditional psychotherapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), in which you learn to alter your perception of the world, are also recommended for treatment of depression, either alone or in conjunction with medication. (10) (These therapies are described in more detail on page 7.) Some studies also find therapy to be as effective as medicine for some mild or moderate depression. (9)

For patients with major depression that doesn't respond to drugs or therapy, electro-convulsive therapy (ECT), commonly referred to as "shock therapy," may be tried. ECT is one of the most misunderstood and feared depression-related treatments despite the fact it is also the best-studied and most effective treatment for this form of severe depression. The most common side effect is short-term memory loss or confusion. (10)

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Depression and women

National Women's Health Report, August, 2003

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