Consequences of the long-term depression

Abstract

Comorbidity between medical-surgical diseases and depression is well documented. Among the somatic disorders associated to the depressive disorder are arthritis, cancer, pulmonary diseases, neurological disorders and heart diseases. Other psychiatric disorders are often comorbid with depressive disorders: alcohol or drug abuse, anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder, aswell as eating disorders in women. Depression increases by three the risk of cardiac mortality. If depression is not treated, it increases the risk of suicide or other violent actions. The treatment will reduce the risk of suicide to a half, especially in males under 30 years of age. Alcohol or drug abuse, unemployment, social isolation, and impulsivity increase the risk of suicide. Finally, we review the only drugs that have been proved effective in reducing suicidal behavior that are lithium for the risk of suicide in bipolar disorders, and clozapine in the risk of suicide of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.