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America's New Great Depression: this time it's personal
Any profession, business, or industry that can raise an individual out of the depths of depression appears to have their work cut out for them, and their future assured. That's because more than 17 million people experience a depressive disorder each year, according to the latest data from the National Institute of Mental Health.
In addition, more than half of the 17 million people who have had one episode of major depression will go on to have another at some point in their lives. As a result, depression is the most common mental illness diagnosed and treated by primary care physicians and psychiatrists, says the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association.
However, the current level of treatment is only the tip of the iceberg. Nearly two-thirds of those who suffer from depression do not get the help they need. Yet it is estimated that treatment can alleviate the symptoms of depression in more than 80% of the cases. Since depression can vary from from person to another, treatment may include medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of both.
Those most at risk to clinical depression are those who have a family history of depressive illness, lack of social support, stressful life events, and current substance abuse. Clinical depression is different from temporary sadness or low spirits that everyone feels every now and then. People with clinical depression often have feelings of helplessness, guilt and extreme sadness.
As a result they may suffer from any combination of insomnia, anxiety, irritability, dramatic mood swings, apathy, or gross changes in appetite. In addition to the personal consequences of clinical depression, an individual's relationships may suffer as well, both during a depressive episode and during treatment. Often, for the partner of the depressed person, there is no outlet for his or her own feelings of fear, anger and helplessness. One study, according to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, reports that marriages where one partner has been treated for depression may be as much as nine times more likely to end in divorce.
Since depression can be based on physiological factors such as chemical imbalance, or environmental factors such as life stress ... patients may be treated with psychotherapy and/or counseling. For example, the individual who suffers due to life stressor might respond best to counseling. On the other hand, the individual who suffers due to a chemical imbalance based on genetic inheritance might respond best to chemotherapy such as a prescription medication. In extreme cases, some individuals turn to ECT or shock therapy. However, the latter is by no means a common treatment.
The first steps toward treatment and recovery, according to AgeVenture, would include the following:
- Depression must not be seen as a personal failure. In fact, it affects millions of adults.
- Those suffering from depression must accept the fact that they have a problem.
- Those who accept that they have a problem must be willing to accept help.
- An initial medical exam will help identify, or rule out, any chemical basis for the problem.
- Selection of a licensed psycho-therapist compatiable with the patient's needs.
- Support for the patient's family in order to promote empathy and understanding.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
"World Health Organization (WHO) Looks Into Global Depression"
"90% of Depression Goes Untreated"
"Prayer versus Depression"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Rising Tide of Net Surfers Hit by Crime Wave
These days, more Americans are booting up, logging on, and surfing their way through cyberspace. Many are surfing into web sites that are robbing them of their right to privacy. Web sites invade surfer privacy by collecting personal information from unsuspecting users of the Internet.
As a result, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises that it is very important for Net surfers to understand how to protect their personal information and avoid fraud and deception online. Nearly 85 percent of all web sites, says the FTC, collect personal information form consumers, but only 14 percent of those web sites provide any notice to consumers of the personal data they collect or how that data might be used.
This situation has gotten so bad that the FTC and State Attorneys Generals have launched a national public education effort to arm surfers with self-help strategies intended to protect their privacy while online. The centerpiece of the campaign is "Site Seeing on the Internet: A Consumer Guide to Travel in Cyberspace", a 12-page handbook. "Site Seeing" highlights the kinds of information and services available in Cyberspace, some of the information gathering and marketing activities that take place, and offers tips on how consumers can maintain privacy and protect their personal information when they go online.
The guide includes a glossary of common terms and phrases used in cyberspace. "Site Seeing" also details how personal information is collected and lists some of the precautions to take when surfing the Net. One of the most helpful suggestions offered by the guide is for surfers to actively seek out the "privacy policy" of a web site that answers questions about accuracy, access, security, and control of personal information. The policy should also state how any collected information will be used, and whether it will be provided to third parties. Copies of "Site Seeing" are available by contacting the FTC's web site at http:www.ftc.gov
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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ODS Goes Grey and Global with Active Aging
Tokyo-based ODS Corporation has announced the foundation of the Active Aging Association, an organization that brings together leading companies, organizations, and individuals for the purpose of investigating how best to deal with the graying of Japanese society.
ODS Corporation was established in 1967 as a research-based consulting firm. For the past three years, ODS has been conducting research into the lifestyles and values of Japan's growing ranks of senior citizens. These efforts led to the formation of the Active Aging Association. It's a good time for corporations to address global greying, especially since the United Nations has designated 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons.
In response to the UN effort, ODS's Active Aging Association hopes to become involved in a variety of activities to draw attention to voices of senior citizens in order to create a society that promotes participation of elders. According to ODS President and CEO, Takahiro Yamaguchi, the Active Aging Association will produce, in addition to other activities, the following awareness-raising initiatives.
- Publication of an annual Active Aging Guidebook.
- Research of elder needs in Japan and overseas.
- Establishment of an annual Active Aging Award.
- Development of public education efforts: symposiums, training seminars.
- Cooperation with local magazines on promoting active aging issues.
The Active Aging Association seems worth watching by anyone interested in how today's age-trends are shaping tomorrow's world. That's because ODS's communication services have previously received kudos from product and service corporate-giants such as Honda, Minolta, Sony, and Toyota.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Monitoring Medicines Makes You Unforgettable
Having trouble with your memory? Getting a wee bit forgetful? Congratulations, you're normal. Don't be so quick to blame memory loss on your age. Instead, look for answers in your medicine cabinet. That's what a recent article by Richard Laliberte in "New Choices" magazine (July/August 1998) recommends.
No, don't take the medication to cure what ails your memory. In fact, you might want to switch medicines, because certain drugs actually CAUSE memory problems. That's right. Psychologist, Dr. Cynthia Green says a number of drugs commonly used by people over age 50 can have a negative impact on memory.
You can take that on good authority because Green directs the Memory Enhancement Program at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. I'll bet she never loses her car keys. Anyway, here are a few of the most common drugs that affect memory.
- Antihistamines
Most will make you drowsy, a sure way to make it hard to remember or to learn something new. So, check the labels on any over-the-counter medications you have stored in the house. Also, ask your doctor about any possible side effects when getting anti-allergy prescriptions.
- Antianxiety drugs
Medications such as benzodiazepines, sometimes used for depression as well as anxiety, affect brain function in ways not limited to the problems they treat. This means you might inadvertently be trading in a better mood in exchange for a weakened memory.
- Pain relievers
Prescription analgesics may contain opiates, which dull the central nervous system.
- Bladder regulators
Often prescribed following prostate surgery, drugs that contain oxybutnin chloride, a sedative, have been associated with impaired thinking.
- Caffeine
Caffeine in small doses, says Dr. Green, can help sharpen mental abilities. But, Green also cautions that too much caffeine can hinder your ability to retain information.
AgeVenture suggests that you also get a copy of the PDR, Physician's Desk Reference. With so many adults taking so many different medications after age 50, it's a good idea to educate yourself. Then, raise any questions with your doctor.
Wellness requires a partnership between doctor and patient. You have to be informed. And, your doctor has to be receptive to your questions. So go ahead and monitor your medicines. It just might make you unforgettable.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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AHCA System Computerizes Quality Care
Not only is competition in the health care industry fierce, recent government regulations are designed to put tight-fisted pressure on facilities to become more cost-effective. The bottom line is top priority. Maintaining quality care, cost-effectiveness, and market position represents a taxing agenda, especially in the current business climate.
Given today's tough market, clearly, only the strong will survive. Faced with these mounting pressures, facilities should welcome tools that will help improve quality of care within the constraints of cost-effectiveness and market competition. One such tool is the American Health Care Association's (AHCA) Facilitator Quality Manager (FQM). FQM is a software and network system that helps facilities analyze their performance. With FQM, performance is quantified by clinical outcome "quality indicators" that can then be compared to facility goals.
The FQM allows facilities to pinpoint which specific areas of performance require improvement, and over time, measures the effectiveness of any changes made. The AHCA's FQM system also allows analyses of staffing levels and, ultimately, customer satisfaction. If, for example, the percentage of resident falls is high, system users can look at detailed data on individual residents who have fallen. A plan of action is then developed and tracked over time to measure progress toward improvement. Here's a partial run-down on what AHCA's FQM promises to deliver.
- A competitive edge, identifying strengths and enhancing performance.
- Plan resident care more precisely.
- Identify weaknesses before state-mandated surveys.
- Improve the efficiency of facility staffing.
- Document quality to regulators and managed care companies.
In a survey of FQM pilot program participants, AHCA found 80 percent of user facilities improved as a direct result of the FQM performance system. For more information on the FQM system, facility personnel can contact AHCA at: 1-888-838-8175. AHCA is a federation of 50 affiliated associations, representing over 11,000 non-profit and for-profit nursing facilities, assisted living residences, and other care providers.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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New Sixty Second Glaucoma Screening Test
A new screening test that takes less than a minute to administer is making it possible to diagnose glaucoma earlier than ever before. That's big news because glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. The new screening test, called FDT (Frequency Doubling Technology), zeroes in on one type of cell in the retina that may be the first to be affected by glaucoma.
"When we note certain changes in these cells, we have a good indication that glaucoma is present", says James Thimons, O.D., director of the Glaucoma Institute at the State University of New York. Additional tests, says Thimons, can then be ordered to pinpoint exactly what is happening and what type of treatment needs to be done.
The FDT is a visual fields test. Since glaucoma gradually destroys side vision and narrows a person's field of view, visual fields tests have proven more effective than the pressure measuring tests used in the past. Inexpensive and quick, FDT is ideal for screening large groups of people for early diagnosis of glaucoma. At the June 28 annual meeting of the American Optometric Association, Dr. Thimons also reported on two other new tests for early diagnosis of glaucoma called the GDX and the HRT.
Both tests use lasers to scan eye tissue and produce a detailed, precise report. Though currently expensive and limited in their availability, Thimons expects both the GDX and HRT to be commonplace in the next five to ten years. For now, Thimons recommends the tests for the following people.
- those at risk for glaucoma
- those with a family history of glaucoma
- anyone who is extremely nearsighted
- anyone suffering from diabetes
- those of African-American or Caribbean descent.
Other news on new oral and topical prescription drugs are proving effective in controlling glaucoma without the side effects of older drugs. These drugs reduce and control pressure inside the eye. It is the pressure buildup that ultimately destroys vision.
Now being researched are drugs that can increase blood flow to the eye and others that may be able to protect the optic nerve from damage. Finally, Dr. Thimons stresses that people need to take an active role in getting tested because glaucoma often has no noticeable symptoms that patients can identify on their own. And, when being treated for glaucoma, the patient must comply with the prescribed medication. "Glaucoma needs to be treated every day for the rest of your life."
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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