Depression as a Systemic Illness

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, how you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest inactivities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person's ability to function at work and at home. It is a guide for understanding and treating depression in the medically ill. The text is based on the fact that depression and medical illness are inextricably bound together and must be viewed through a single lens in order to truly understand, diagnose, and treat them. The core concepts of the book provide a conceptual and intellectual framework for understanding depressive illness in the context of medical illness. It provides the assessment and treatment methods of depression in medically ill patients. It is also devoted to special patient populations and the importance of the settings in which care is delivered. It is the comprehensive account of all aspects of depression in medical illness and patients struggling with one of the most common and devastating diseases of the modern age. This edition will help students, patients and caregivers understand this field of medical science.