Faces of Depression

Abstract

Faces of Depression contains 8 chapters in which brief stories (1 to 4 pages) of individuals with depression are narrated. These are true-life experiences of “regular” individuals and are not the experiences of famous personalities. Stories include those of adolescents, adults, and spouses of individuals experiencing depression. The book is easy to read and can be understood by those without formal training in mental health or medicine. Each chapter typically begins with an introduction describing a symptom or symptoms of depression per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) and/or other aspects of depression. Sometimes a nontechnical overview of biological aspects of depression is included too. The chapter then follows with brief stories related to that theme. For example, in Chapter 3, “Perceptions,” the first paragraph lists 3 of the 9 formal symptom categories qualifying one for a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (i.e., depression) and also mentions that these symptoms must lead to impairment in one's typical functioning to qualify the individual for the diagnosis of depression. Eight stories from different individuals relating to this depression theme are included in this chapter. Throughout the book, the stories of 16 individuals are woven into each particular depression-related theme as introduced by the beginning (or middle) of the chapter. Besides reviews of the typical experiences and symptoms of depression, there are 2 chapters on related topics: Chapter 5, “Cognition and Culture,” includes content on culture-specific experiences as they relate to depression, and Chapter 7, “Relatives,” includes content on diseases that simultaneously occur among those with depression (e.g., brief stories of individuals with fibromyalgia and some of the anxiety disorders). Faces of Depression would be of interest to medical students, medical residents, clinical psychology graduate students, social work students, and other students training to help those experiencing depression. This book would help them understand the challenges of those who experience depression. Also, primary care physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and other mental health professionals may find this book useful to recommend as reading to the caregivers and/or spouses of those whom they are treating for depression; by reading this volume, these individuals may better understand the challenging experience that their loved one is experiencing.