HOW WESTERN MASSAGE CAN INFLUENCE DEPRESSION
According to van Weel-Baumgarten and associates (2000: 284-287), depression is a common form of mental disorder associated with feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, guilt, sadness and a sense of grief. Depression is often associated with changes in appetite and weight, a loss of energy and feelings of fatigue, difficulties concentrating and indecisiveness. There can also be recurring thoughts of death or suicide and physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches.
The extent to which depression is a healthcare concern for society cannot be overestimated. Murray and Fortinberry (2005: 1-2) state that depression is one of the most lethal healthcare problems of contemporary times, affecting more than 18.8 million Americans per year (9.5 percent of the population). Over 80 percent of those suffering from depression will go without treatment of any kind. As to the costs of depression, the authors report that these run about $51 billion dollars per year in terms of absenteeism and lost productivity; however, these figures do not include medical or pharmaceutical costs.
Murray and Fortinberry (2005: 1-2) also report that there are many causes of depression which can vary by type of depression (short term or chronic). These include: loss, extreme trauma in the present or trauma in childhood. There can also be some genetic disposition. Illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, and so forth can also be associated with depression.
Regarding the progression and prognosis of depression, Greden (2002: 3-7) states that if depression is left untreated, it will become chronic and increasingly severe, a fact which highlights the importance of treatment for this condition. However, existing treatments are often inadequate for some depressive disorders resulting in low remission rates and high treatment resistance rates. Further, side effects and slow onset of action can lower patient ad...