Is depression just about serotonin imbalance? Acne linked to depression and suicide.
34% of children with acne had suicidal thoughts, compared with 22% of those without.
These are the findings published today in a study by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
"There is now increasing recognition of the association of skin disease with mental health," said Peter Watson (one of the study's authors), from the University of Auckland's Adolescent Health Research Group.
There is a belief perhaps created by pharmaceuticals that all depression is an imbalance of the chemicals in the brain. And that's all it is. And that it can be addressed by just forcing your body to increase the amount of serotonin in the synapses. The reality may be different, depression and mental health is far more complicated than just serotonin levels. Diet, exercise, exposure to daylight are factors that we know can make a big difference to some depressed patients. So why so often the medication is the first measure many GPs will resource to? Is this the patient expectation, or is this the false sense of security?
It must be a FALSE sense of security, as some antidepressants have been associated with increased suicidal thoughts and not decreased.
Don't take me wrong, I am not anti-medicine. In fact I am pro-medicine. However, we have to look into what IS safe and what is NOT safe. And what DOES or DOES NOT work. Depression is a complex illness and may require integrative approach. Combining diet, exercise, lifestyle changes, counseling and acupuncture maybe a very sensible idea.