{"id":8261,"date":"2011-04-29T16:48:03","date_gmt":"2011-04-29T20:48:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/1boringoldman.com\/?p=8261"},"modified":"2011-09-17T09:55:54","modified_gmt":"2011-09-17T13:55:54","slug":"sallys-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1boringoldman.com\/index.php\/2011\/04\/29\/sallys-world\/","title":{"rendered":"sally’s world…"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Depression is one of the most prevalent and costly brain diseases. In the last major epidemiology study conducted in the United States, major depression had an overall lifetime prevalence rate of 17.1% (21% in women and 13% in men), and comparable figures have been obtained worldwide. These findings represent an increase of approximately 6% in the 15 years since the previous study…<\/font><\/em><\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Affective disorders account for considerable psychiatric morbidity (pain and suffering), but also significant disability and consequent loss of productivity. Depression has been estimated to be the second leading cause of disability worldwide, surpassed only by ischemic heart disease. Moreover, depression is often associated with comorbid psychiatric disorders, most notably anxiety disorders (panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive−compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder). The mean age of onset of depression has markedly decreased from the 40- to 50-year-old range noted several years ago to the 25- to 35-year range, and this phenomenon has been observed worldwide. Depression often goes undetected, especially in children, adolescents and the elderly. Mood disorders are associated with a significant risk for suicide, which remains one of the top ten causes of death in the United States and in many countries throughout the world. Depression is a major independent risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease and stroke, and possibly other major medical disorders.<\/font><\/em><\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

I wrote a previous version of this post, but as I was in the process of publishing it, it evaporated into  the ether of cyberspace – an event I see as a sign, but I’ll get to that in a moment. First, I’d like to revisit that quote up there from my last post [d<\/font><\/u>epression,<\/font> D<\/font><\/u>epression, and Alchemy…<\/font><\/a><\/strong>]. It begins with the topic sentence, "Depression is one of the most prevalent and costly brain diseases.<\/font><\/em>" So right out of the gate, Depression is a standalone – not Major Depressive Disorder. The emotion [depression] has become a disease, and a brain disease at that. Even more, it’s a major public health problem – prevalent and costly.<\/p>\n

About the time I got through that sentence the first time I wrote it, there was a mail ping. It was a comment<\/strong><\/a> on my last post saying, "Whenever I see a journal article lead off with this anodyne theme I know there’s trouble ahead. The theme has been internalized by all the professional writers who do the ghostwriting for all the too-busy KOLs – we know who they are.<\/em>" As usual, Dr. Carroll is on the mark. The quote is from Sally Laden<\/font><\/strong><\/u><\/a>‘s article  in 2004 [edited by Dr. Nemeroff et al]. It was the one that lost Nemeroff the editorship of NeuroPsychoPharmacology:<\/p>\n