Depressive Disorder Due to Another Medical Condition entails a period of depressed mood or markedly diminished interest or pleasure that is directly related to the physiological effects of another medical condition.
Common Medical Conditions
- Stroke (30% of stroke patients go on to develop depression which makes it the most common psychiatric problem affecting stroke patients)
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Huntingtons disease (depression is usually in the beginning and quite often before the Huntingtons symptoms)
- Parkinsons Disease (a common estimate is that 30% of those with Parkinsons have depression)
- Hypothyroidism
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Arthritis
- HIV
- Metabolic conditions (B-12 deficiency)
- Chronic Back pain
Day-to-day living can be very difficult with these sometimes painful and complicated medical conditions. The person may have to deal with many medications that have to be taken at different times in the morning, afternoon and night, multiple medical appointments with different providers and a change in their daily activities. For example, a person with severe arthritis may become depressed just from the pain involved in bathing, brushing teeth and getting dressed each and every single day.