Depression: Clinical Psychology Nightmare

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Clinical psychologists try to understand, prevent, and treat mental illness. Depression is considered the “common cold” of mental illness because many suffer from it at some point. “Over the course of a lifetime, 12% of Canadians and 17% of Americans experience depression” (Rolfe-Maloney 2). However, depression is longer lasting and more detrimental to an individual than a common cold. Depression has seemed elusive to successful treatment and puzzling to clinical psychologists. Louise Malan, a practicing clinical psychologist, defines depression as severe and constant emotional distress that interrupts the patient’s life (5). Depression is an emotional and chemical imbalance that creates specific symptoms. Depression is a complex mental illness for clinical psychologists to diagnose and to successfully treat.
Though the symptoms differ in severity for each person, there are some basic symptoms that indicate that the patient is depressed. To be diagnosed as depressed a patient must express at least one or both of these qualities: feeling down most of the day and/or significantly decreased interest in once enjoyable activities (Rolfe-Maloney 2). Other symptoms can include an increase or decrease of appetite or sleep. Lethargy, agitation, fatigue, excessive or inappropriate guilt, or reoccurring thoughts of death or suicide are all common symptoms of depression. Though some of the symptoms overlap with other mood or personality disorders, the patient must express at least four of the listed symptoms.
Clinical psychologists often have a difficult time diagnosing a patient who is depressed because depression is an extremely versatile disorder. Patient’s personalities are different so it is no surprise that depression symptoms diffe...

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Marsh, Diane T. “Serious Emotional Disturbance in Children and Adolescents: Opportunities and Challenges for Psychologists.” University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice (2004): Volume 35, No. 5. Pages 443-448. Print.
“Mental Health; New Findings in Depression Described from Department of Psychology.” Biotech Week. April 24, 2013. Page 733. Web.
Rolfe-Maloney, Brenda. “Neurotransmitters.” Psychology 100 Room 2416. September 30, 2013
Rolfe-Maloney, Brenda. “Psychological Disorders.” Psychology 100 Room 2416. December 4, 2013. (Rolfe-Maloney 2)

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