Electroconvulsive therapy recommended for major depression
Electroconvulsive therapy recommended for major depression
New guidelines proposed by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) recommend that electroconvulsive therapy, a treatment that has been used as physical therapy traditionally, may be used to treat either major depressive disorder or major depression in patients who don't respond to medications.
This is the first time the medical organization has ever updated its guidelines on the assessment and treatment of depression since 2000; the current guidelines are based on research conducted from 1999 through 2006.
The guidelines, which were drafted by a team led by psychiatrist Alan J. Gelenberg, say that the shock (and awe?) therapy may serve as therapy for patients with major depressive disorder who have a high degree of symptom severity; also implicated as possible "beneficiaries" of this type of therapy are those who do not respond to prescribed medications.
"The five-year process of intense review, discussion and thoughtful revision-making has led us to today's release of new guidelines that we believe will improve patient care," Dr. Gelenberg in a press release by the organization. "We are hopeful these guidelines will lead to improved lives for many patients."
The update was based on an organizational review of over 1,300 and more than 1,000 comments. The revised guidelines have been extensively analyzed by more than 100 stakeholders, including experts in psychiatry, allied physician organizations, patient advocacy groups and members of APA.
The major changes in the guidelines have occurred in rating scales, new strategies for treatment-resistance depression, exercise and other healthy behaviors and strengthened maintenance treatment recommendation.
In addition to electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation and monoamine oxidase inhibitors have also been added as potential treatments for patients with severe major depression or treatment-resistant depression.
The guidelines also recognize that regular aerobic exercise or resistance training may modestly improve mood symptoms.
A recent report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says as many as 9 percent of adult Americans suffered depression in 2006 and 2008; 3.4 percent of them had major depression.
Depression is a condition in which a person feels sad, blue, unhappy, and miserable or downs in the dumps, according to Medline Plus, a government medical source. Major depression refers to a condition in which a person has five or more depressive symptoms for at least two weeks.
The causes for depression remain officially unknown. However, many possible lifestyle parameters may affect the risk of this condition, according to early studies.
A recent study published in the Sep 7 2010 issue of Journal of Psychopharmacology suggests that maintaining an adequate level of serum vitamin D may help ward off depression in community dwelling individuals.
The study of 3369 middle-aged and older men at the mean age of 60 led by Lee D.M. and colleagues from the University of Manchester in the UK showed those with low serum levels of vitamin D were 70 percent more likely to suffer depression.
Other things that may help reduce depression risk include an adequate intake of B-vitamins, a plant-based diet, the Mediterranean diet and exercise. Additionally, having a healthy body weight, undergoing acupuncture, biofeedback, ayurveda, homeopathy, aromatherapy, and color therapy also contribute to a reduction in risk.
Electroconvulsive therapy recommended for major depression
By: alam.md
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