with Dr Kevinruddscat
Depression
Robb’s departure leaves a gaping hole in the coalition
Parliamentary downtime means our politicians are dispersing to all four corners of the globe. But it’s Andrew Robb’s unexpected departure due to a depressive illness that is the most concerning.
Oakes: Robb’s Black Dog fight
In a rare case of political honesty, Lib MP Andrew Robb opens up to Laurie Oakes about the depressive illness that’s forced him off the front bench.
Tired? Eat too much? Irritable? Congrats, you’re depressed.
In 1994 the American Psychiatric Association published its fourth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for mental disorders (DSM). Here, you’ll find the worryingly popular one-size-fits-most measure for Depressive Disorder.
The black dog: sometimes it’s impossible to get out of bed
It’s almost impossible to get out of bed when the Black Dog, as Winston Churchill called depression, visits. It’s when nights become about paranoia and obsessing, writes Greg Barns.
Over diagnosis, wrong treatments: the mess of depression
Mental health issues — particularly depression and the increase in its over diagnosis — are turning young men into “the canaries in the coal mines of our toxic culture”, writes Miranda Devine.
Unpicking claims in the media about suicide and depression
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg has been making some big statements lately about depression and suicide, following the deaths of several young people in Geelong. How damaging are his claims?
BeyondBlue finally pays attention to long-neglected group
Whether it’s neo-natal, indigenous, or rural mental health , BeyondBlue has been almost relentless in its efforts to reach groups who are at risk. Except one.
Report on depression gene faulty
It turns out a 2003 study that claimed a single gene helps determine one’s risk of depression may have been premature in its findings.
The soul-destroying lives of boys in the bush
While gender roles have changed considerably, the male ego remains more dependent upon occupation, writes Tanveer Ahmed.This is surely more pronounced in country areas.
Re-writing the Great Depression
Economists look back to the Great Depression and find that everything we think we know about it is wrong — but this could be good news.
Political snippets: Naming electorates after Australian Idols
Richard Farmer uncovers a unique name suggestion for a new seat in Queensland, and questions Rudd’s Afghanistan exit strategy.
Global disaster? Please explain
No-one can possibly know how long the current recession will last or how deep it will go.
Food companies get frugal
The packaged-food industry has long touted itself as recession-proof. But strapped consumers are shattering that assumption, setting off a frenzy in the nation’s supermarket aisles and cooking labs.
The disappearing jobs of Merthyr Tydfil
By the 1970s Hoover employed more than 5000 people in Merthyr and was so dominant that the British town was dubbed “Hooverville”. But since the factory closed last month, lives have been shattered.
Anti-depressants: the ongoing media debate
The use of anti-depressants has long been associated with some controversy among mental health professionals and the broader community, writes Greg Barns.
Rural health: beset by drought and conspicuous compassion
Government drought response efforts have often contributed to rural powerlessness — through the very measures they have deemed to be caring and responsive, writes Dr John Ashfield.
Suicide risk: why knee-jerk reactions to antidepressants help no-one
The evidence in Australia indicates that increased treatment of depression (not just use of medicines) was a key factor in the fall in suicide rates, writes Professor Ian Hickie.
Are antidepressants the answer for depression?
A recent paper showing that drug trials do not support the effectiveness of antidepressants in all but the most severe cases of depression has surprised many psychiatrists, writes Dr Jon Jureidini.
Another global depression? Not likely, it’s not the 1930s
Ten years after the Asian financial tail-spin and almost 20 since the Wall Street panic that reversed the 1985 Plaza Accord, central bankers are running up warning flags about the fragility of their global system.
