Health Risks Associated with Depression
Bone Loss
A November 2007 study showed that premenopausal women with even mild depression have less bone mass than do their non-depressed peers. The level of bone loss was at least as high as that associated with recognized risk factors for osteoporosis, including smoking, low calcium intake, and lack of physical activity.
Hip bones, the site of frequent fractures among older people, were among those showing the most thinning in depressed premenopausal women. The reduced bone mass puts them at higher risk of these costly, sometimes fatal fractures and others as they age.
Vascular Depression
One type of depression that is caused by a physical ailment is called vascular depression, also called arteriosclerotic depression or subcortical ischemic depression. This condition, generally found in people older than 60, may result when blood vessels become less flexible and harden over time. This hardening of the vessels prevents normal blood flow to all parts of the body, including the brain.
If an elderly person is experiencing symptoms of depression, but does not seem to respond to anti-depression medications or other therapies, the cause could be vascular depression. Those with this condition are likely also experiencing, or at risk for, a co–existing cardiovascular illness or stroke.
Self-Injury
The practice of cutting, or self-injury, is sometimes linked to depression. Cutting is the practice of injuring one’s self on purpose by making scratches or cuts on the body with a sharp object, usually enough to break the skin and make it bleed. For some, cutting is a way to try to deal with the pain of strong emotions, intense pressure, or upsetting relationship problems. Some people cut to express strong feelings of rage, sorrow, rejection, desperation, longing, or emptiness.
Destructive Behavior
People with depression are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, including abusing drugs or alcohol or acting out in aggressive, destructive ways. This can be a difficult cycle to identify; for example, which came first, the depression or the substance abuse? A substance abuser may not be clinically depressed, and a depressed person will not necessarily become a substance abuser, but it is always something to be aware of when someone exhibits this type of behavior.
