Blood Test for Teen Depression Under Study
They found that 11 of the indicators were linked to depression, and 18 were linked to anxiety as well as depression. It is too early to say that the test works in a specific percentage of people, Redei says. “You need much larger studies,” she tells WebMD.
Niculescu agrees that larger studies are needed. Scientists must reproduce the findings. They need to calculate accuracy.
“That is the gold standard,” he says. “We need to be careful not to jump to conclusions based on a small number of study participants.” The blood markers for depression vary a lot in the population, he says.
FACTS:
Men are less likely to be detected for depression. Because men are less likely to talk about their feelings than women it is often more difficult to pick up signs of depression in men. In addition, some depressed men don’t seem sad or down, instead they may be irritable, angry or restless.
Depression can affect anyone. Anyone of any race, gender, or size can get depressed. Depression is usually first noticed in the late teens and early 20s, but ultimately it can develop at any age. Depression can be triggered through a tough emotional event or it can appear out of no where.
Depression can sneak up slowly. Depression doesn’t necessarily hit you at once. Sometimes it can appear gradually over a long period of time. Unfortunately this makes it harder to identify than it would have been if the illness suddenly appeared.
Family history does not set things in stone. If depression appears is your family tree this could mean you’re at a higher risk of getting this illness, although that doesn’t mean you’ll actually get it. In fact, having this knowledge of your family history could help reduce your chances of becoming depressed by taking the necessary steps promptly to prevent depression.
Depression imitates dementia. In older adults, depression can be the main cause of confusion, memory problems and delusion. Unfortunately caregivers and doctors can mistake these symptoms for signs of dementia, or an age-related decline in memory.
Niculescu reports serving on the speaker’s bureau for Janssen and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals.
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