Speakup a Review of Adult Depression

Adult depression affects millions of people in the United States alone each year. Whether it is acute or chronic depression, the symptoms often form a debilitating daily life that attributes to poor quality of life for those afflicted. SpeakUP and the Joint Commission offers a brochure on adult depression helping people learn what to look for in someone that is depressed. The brochure is not only a great way to raise awareness for adult depression, it also provides on the first page, useful links to various organizations that help those depressed, get help. One of the biggest ones is the suicide prevention lifeline phone number and website.

Just like kids and teens, adults battle depression too. Without the tools and information to understand and combat depression, adults may end up dealing with depression for years alone and isolated. The brochure is meant to show readers that there is hope for depression and people can get help. This review highlights the various bits of useful information the brochure contains along with how successfully or unsuccessfully the brochure displays the selected information.

2. Summary of Article

Aside from the first page that has the various links for mental health evaluation and information, the first page has an introduction talking about the seriousness of depression. It has warning signs listed that help people identify if they suffer from depression. These warning signs are low, energy, tiredness, eating more or less than usual, sleeping more or less, among others. These symptoms are often ignored and dismissed. The brochure highlighting such symptoms helps those suffering to know when to get help.

The main topics discussed in the article are several. The first are the kind of people affected by depression and those are people with health issues, people experiencing or who have experienced trauma, those with family history, and so forth. Another main topic are treatment options. People can seek professional help and/or reach out to friends and family. A third topic is what people should know about medicines. Medicines that treat depression among other mental disorders have to be taken consistently and for long-term in order to take effect. These are known as SSRIS. Besides medicines, talk therapy, a fourth main topic, can be an effective way to treat someone's depression. The brochures makes a note to suggest speaking to someone else if one does not feel comfortable talking to one particular therapist.

Another important main topic is help from family members or friends. Friends and family member are meant to be there and show support. The brochure explains family and friends can get a loved one to appointments and keep the person motivated and focused towards his/her goals. A fifth main topic covers what people can do to feel better. Helpful suggestions like getting enough sleeping, eating healthy, spending time outdoor, and joining a support group help. The last main topic covered is where someone can find information. Many links are posted along with phone numbers to call.

3. Evaluation of Article

The brochure was done well in the sense that several avenues of treatment were explored. The very first images one sees when looking at the brochure are the signs of depression and where to get help. The suicide prevention number also gives a good indicator of the nature of the brochure as a tool of awareness and where to look for help. The only negatives are the lack of detail in the kinds of medicines use and the side effects of such medicines. Psych medication sometimes have serious side effects and may make the person taking them, feel worse, even suicidal.

I chose this brochure because so many people deal with depression without even knowing they are depressed. This world remains filled with chaos and upheaval. For those suffering from adult depression, it is important to know when to get help to get better. Nothing feels worse than feeling alone and helpless.

The information was useful in the sense that it was an easily accessible way to learn of the various websites and numbers to call for help. Patient education often requires exploring topics in a short period. This means getting in as much information efficiently in order to bring awareness to a topic and provide the means with which to begin setting goals. A colorful and brief brochure like this is perfect for patient education.

Because the important information was color coded, it did well to highlight sections and information. A good example are the websites, the signs of depression, and the suicide hotline. The fact that the sections were separated made it easier to choose which section to read and everything was spaced well allowing for faster absorptions of information. The picture on the front also helped attract interest.