What is depression? What is bipolar disorder? How are they diagnosed and how are they treated? Can a small child be diagnosed with depression and treated with antidepressants - and should they be?

Covering depression, manic depression, and bipolar disorder, this Very Short Introduction gives a brief account of the history of these concepts, before focussing on the descriptions and understanding of these disorders today. Jan Scott and Mary Jane Tacchi look at the introduction of modern treatments for people suffering from depression, recounting the stories behind the development and introduction of antidepressants and mood stabilizers. They examine the symptoms and signs of the different disorders, as well as the association between physical disorders and depression. Exploring the importance of depression and bipolar disorder in society, they also look at the link between creativity and mood disorders. Scott and Tacchi conclude by discussing treatments and the future for those with depression.

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� propos de l?auteur

Jan Scott has undertaken major research studies on both depression and manic depression. She is a Professor of Psychological Medicine at Newcastle University, and has published over 200 scientific papers and reviews, as well as textbooks, treatment manuals and book chapters for specialist and general readerships. She has also contributed to several Government publications. Together with Mary Jane Tacchi she is the author of Improving Adherence in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders (John Wiley, 2005).

Mary Jane Tacchi is a Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry who is also trained in cognitive therapy. She instigated the Crisis assessment and home based treatment team in Newcastle - a development which won her the national 'Hospital Doctor of the Year Award' in 2002. She has undertaken research on brief cognitive therapy for depression and adherence therapy for manic depression, and has written extensively on the problems of engagement with services and adherence with treatment.

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