To thrive after depression: Why do scientists ignore the good results?



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To thrive after depression: Why do scientists ignore good results?

Jonathan Rottenberg, University of South Florida



29 June 2018


(The Conversation is an independent, non-profit source of news, badysis and commentary from Jonathan Rottenberg, South University of Florida and Todd Kashdan, George Mason University

(THE CONVERSATION) Following the suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, our nation was recently sobered by the threat of depression to public health. Common mood seen by the World Health Organization as the leading cause of disability in the world, ahead of widely publicized contenders such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. news today, you will learn that depression leads to self-harm and suicidal thoughts, drug overdoses, school shootings and police clashes. Can darker human weaknesses ever pave the way for something better?

What do clinicians know about redemption and personal growth as a result of depression? How often does it happen?

In an article published in Perspectives on Psychological Science with our students, we came to a shocking conclusion: the experts have virtually nothing to say on this subject.

Consensus opinion in Psychology, Psychiatry and Public "Depression is a chronic and recurring illness, with every depressive episode lived increasing the risk of future episodes," as Dr. David said Solomon and his colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health in 2000. Or as Saba Mousavi and his colleagues from the World Health Organization wrote in the Lancet: "Without treatment, depression tends to take a chronic course, be recidivist and, over time, be badociated with increasing disability. Leading thinkers in one sentence: Depression is a recurring and chronic condition that is difficult to contain even when it is being treated.

In other words, science The scientific literature clearly states that if you have ever suffered from depression, it will probably hit you again and ruin your good years (ironically, making pessimistic predictions could exacerbate depression people). You will have problems at work, your relationships will suffer and your happiness and your sense of life will be hindered.

Yes, depression can be a permanent problem. Yet, as we have deepened the epidemiological findings, we have also seen signs of better results – an aspect we have found is rarely studied. For example, in rare longitudinal studies that modeled the entire population, 40 to 60% of people who had previously suffered from depression never experienced recurrence even after being interviewed for years and even decades later. 39% of people who have ever been diagnosed with major depression at least once in the past report having a positive mental health condition, defined as having no mental health problems in the past year, and feeling satisfied almost daily last month.

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These glimmers suggest that a substantial percentage of those who suffer from depression may be discarding and continue to prosper. It means living better than the average human without depression, experiencing frequent positive emotions, good relationships, self-reliance of thought and action, and meaningful goals. From Demi Lovato to Duane "The Rock" Johnson to Robert Downey Jr., we already have spectacular testimonials about prosperity after struggles for mental health. The researchers' task now is to follow these encouraging signs with a systematic collection of data on how people thrive after depression.

A key step for scientists will be to use clear definitions of prosperity or well-being guided by standards of well-being. be collected in national population samples. For example, our newly proposed standard for prosperity after depression incorporates nine different aspects of well-being, and requires that a person not only be rid of the major symptoms of depression, but also that it present a Well-being Profile Above 75 For some, depression is a bridge to something better, rather than an inevitable death sentence. For some, complete healing can simply take time. Others can achieve this through formal treatment. Still others may discover a new purpose in life or a daily routine that works for them. Some people may thrive after the first time that they were depressed; others can only get there after several periods of depression.

The most exciting thing about lighting the various pathways of prosperity is that some can help the 300 million people fighting depression around the world. The need to improve intervention in case of depression is crucial because current medications and psychotherapies, even if they help the majority of patients, often provide only partial relief from symptoms ; Unfortunately, most people who struggle with mood problems do not follow any treatment.

Clinicians' neglect of depression after depression is questionable since data show that depressive patients are looking for more than just the absence of distress and disorder. They want to love and be loved, to be engaged in the present moment, to extract joy and meaning, and to do something that matters – something that makes the pain and setbacks of daily life worthwhile. Is the point of intervention not helping people unleash their potential despite a mental disorder?

We have discovered that psychology and psychiatry have a blind spot for good results. This blind spot is bigger than the depression. It covers suicidal gestures, substance use problems, anxiety and eating disorders. It covers most major mental health issues. In all these cases, we have found a lack of even the most basic estimates of the number of people who are fully recovering and thriving in their lives.

We believe that as long as this blind spot is not filled, therapists and doctors should lightly. People experiencing problems in treatment settings are regularly told that their condition has a poor prognosis. Until we know how much blooming is common, such statements are misinformed, even hurtful. They do not serve patients well.

People need to see other humans as they are, which often differs from our intuition, our expert opinions and the inner monologue that afflicts us when we know the depths of the depression. Our new vision on the possibilities after depression is not only a closer fit of the existing scientific evidence, it also proves more promising.

This article originally appeared on The Conversation. Read the original article here: http://theconversation.com/thriving-after-depression-why-are-scientists-ignoring-good-outcomes-98288.

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