Category Archives: Depression

Depression 'over-diagnosed' with drugs

Dished out to patients who are simply sad or unable to sleep, warns expert

  • Chris Dowrick claims half of patients labelled depressed were misdiagnosed
  • Liverpool University professor calls on diagnosis guidelines to be tightened
  • Patients ‘becoming reliant on drugs they don’t need’
  • Mental health charities reject research – and say more people are being diagnosed due to pressure from debt and unemployment

By Lucy Crossley

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Millions of patients are being wrongly diagnosed with depression when they are simply sad, according to a new report

Million of patients are being wrongly diagnosed with depression when they are simply sad, according to a new report.

Anti-depressants are being dished out to people grieving loved ones, suffering sexual problems or even unable to sleep, claims a newly-published scientific paper published by academics at Liverpool Unversity.

The number of people diagnosed with mental illnesses like depression has doubled since 2002. It is believed more than five million people are now labelled depressed or suffering anxiety in the UK.

Liverpool University’s Professor of Primary Medical Care, Chris Dowrick, claims in a new report that up to half of these patients have been misdiagnosed.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, the academic, who also works as a GP, said: ‘Over-diagnosis is now more common than under diagnosis.’

Depressed Man Hanged Himself After His Sickness Benefits Were Cut, Inquest Hears

Neighbour became concerned

coroners-court2

photo credit: ell brown via photopin cc

59 year-old Victor Cuff from Gravesend in Kent, hung himself because his sickness benefits had been cut, an Inquest has heard.

Mr Cuff’s friend and neighbour, Colleen Gobel (69), told police how she had become concerned for Mr Cuff after not seeing him on 22nd May. Upon further investigation she found her neighbour dead in his bedroom.

Police were called to Mr Cuff’s ground-floor flat at 6:11pm.

Detective Sergeant James Greenidge, told the inquest that upon arrival at the flat he found Mr Cuff’s lying in his bed, and that “it appeared he hanged himself”. Detective Greenidge continued by saying: “there was evidence he was drunk”.

Colleen Gobel told police that Mr Cuff had a history of depression and was “feeling down” as a result of experiencing money troubles after his sickness benefits were reduced.

How Care Homes Can Help Isolated Older People

Guest blog by Jason Tucker

Isolation and depression in the elderly has been a hot topic in the media in recent months. Following a slew of studies and reports the plight of older people has been thrown into a new light. Sadly, as a youth-obsessed nation the issues surrounding the elderly aren’t often given much in the way of attention by the press, but with a recent study showing that social isolation leads to a 26% higher chance of death over a seven year period, people are beginning to realise that something needs to be done.

The shrinking of our social circle seems to be directly correlated with our increasing age. As friends pass away and our ability to get out and about is limited it becomes harder to build and maintain relationships. Older people who have had children may find that they help in care of grandchildren, which helps keep them active and in regular contact with relatives. But with families living further apart than at any previous time in history, it’s not uncommon for grandparents to only see their grandchildren every few months or on school holidays.