Depression: methods of diagnosis and correction

Depression is an affective state of a person, which, as a rule, is accompanied by a general passivity of behavior, a negative emotional background, cognitive ideas, changes in the motivational sphere. A person in this state experiences painful, heavy, negative experiences and emotions - depression, depression, despair, despair. In such a state, a person usually sharply reduces all needs, desires, motives, drives, volitional activity. Depression, the methods of diagnosis and correction of which are described below, is characterized by rapid fatigue, lack of initiative, slowness of the person.

Diagnostic methods

According to one study, it is difficult to identify depression cases, since in most cases patients simply keep silent about symptoms, characteristic depression, which complicates the doctor's diagnosis.

The reasons why many are afraid to talk about this much: some are afraid of the side effects of antidepressants;Some believe that controlling one's emotions is a personal matter, not a doctor's concern;Some fear that the employer will find out about their depressed state from the medical card;Some fear that they will be referred to a psychiatrist for further treatment. Therefore, therapists should be able to use screening tools, including questionnaires, to exclude depression during admission. To determine the severity of depression and to conduct screening, the basic question is a large depression questionnaire and the Zang scale.

instagram viewer

The Zang scale is a test that allows you to assess the severity of depression.

During testing, 20 factors are taken into account( 10 questions are formulated positively, 10 are formulated negatively), which determine 4 levels of depression. Each question is answered "sometimes", "never", "constantly", "often" and is estimated from 1 to 4. As a result, the result of the scale reaches 20-80 points.

The first level - 20-49 points is estimated as a normal state.

The second level - 50-59 points indicates mild depression.

The third level - 60-69 points indicates a moderate depression.

The fourth level - 70 and above indicates a severe depression.

The Great Depression Questionnaire is a self-assessment test for screening, detecting and determining the severity of a depressive disorder. The development of this test was based on the diagnostic measures of depressive disorder according to DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10.The questionnaire consists of questions, an answer that can reflect a particular symptom of the disease. The severity of the disease is determined by the doctor collecting anamnesis of the patient. He pays attention to how strongly depressive symptoms are expressed on the Likert scale, how often the signs of depression in the patient manifest themselves.

Methods of correction

Psychotherapy. Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy is considered a priority method, which consists in teaching the patient the ability to control their emotions, thinking, behavior.

Hypnosis, autogenic training, Orthodox-oriented psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, team realization of creative ideas are also used for correction.

Pharmacotherapy. This treatment is an individually selected, safe, modern and effective drug.

Laser Therapy. Treatment consists in intravenous laser irradiation of blood, which increases the sensitivity of the patient's body to neurological and psychotropic drugs, as a result, drugs are prescribed in minimal dosages, reducing the risk of side effects.

Biological feedback. In the present-day mode, the patient observes the palpitations, respiration rate, vascular tone, brain biorhythms and can consciously influence them, so that later on in the required situation, this skill can be applied.

Massage. This method of correcting a person's condition can strengthen the body, positively affect the mood, give strength.

Light therapy. The majority of specialists associate the positive effect of light therapy not only with the increase in the regulatory function of the cerebral cortex, but also with the adjustment of the activity of the vegetative system.