Treatment programs

disorders treated

Depression + Mood Disorders

quick facts

Depression is very common, affecting about 340 million people worldwide so about one in 5 people will incur a mental illness like depression in their life time. It can affect people of any age, gender and background and is among the leading causes of disability worldwide and may vary from mild or temporary to severe and prolonged. It is predicted that depression will be the leading cause of disability and the second most likely contributor to the global burden of disease by the year 2020.

Depression can be reliably diagnosed and treated, however, fewer than 25% of those affected access effective treatments. If untreated, depression can become chronic or recurrent and lead to the individual struggling to deal with everyday responsibilities. In the worst scenario it can lead to suicide.

Depression is usually described as feelings of extreme sadness. It includes a loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy and poor concentration, social isolation or withdrawal and memory difficulties.

Depression is like any other illness such as heart disease or hurting your back. We should not be embarrassed or ashamed to seek help as it is can often be easily treated and best treated early as possible. Your GP is the best initial contact.

People who are depressed may also become agitated or anxious. If we are anxious or continually worried this can also affect our memory, concentration and enjoyment of life. It is quite common to develop anxiety with depression.

If you or someone you care about seems to be suffering from a depressive disorder, expert effective help is available. Read on for more information on what to do. Action now could help you save your own or someone else's life.

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Depressive Symptoms

do you recognise any of these symptoms?
Signs of more clinical depression may include, persistent or extreme feelings of...

Further reading
For more information on the symptoms of depression for people of all ages, go to

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options for Treatment

A range of options are available for the treatment of depression. The biochemical changes that occur with a depressive disorder are often best managed with medication. The use of medication in conjunction with cognitive behavioural therapy has been shown to be the most effective intervention overall. Unlike the early antidepressants, the new-age drugs offer fewer side effects and better outcomes that can greatly assist a person on the road to recovery.

Electroconvulsive Therapy or ECT has also been shown to be an effective treatment option for depression. Often ECT is used for those whose depressive symptoms have resisted alternative forms of treatment. However, many have suggested its use as a frontline treatment because the results can be fast and positive.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy alone or in conjunction with medical interventions has been used in the treatment of depression for nearly 50 years. It is based on the identification and challenging of unhelpful, negative or irrational thoughts or beliefs that the person has developed relating to themselves, others or the world in general.

Such thoughts and beliefs form patterns over time. When they become entrenched in the person's mind, they often lose the ability to be objective and rational, and a destructive spiral of negative thoughts and behaviours may follow.

Dysfunctional assumptions alone do not account for the development of clinical depression. Problems arise when critical incidents occur which mesh with the person's own system of beliefs. So the belief that personal worth depends entirely on success could lead to depression in the face of failure, and the belief that to be loved is essential to happiness could trigger depression following rejection.

Cognitive behaviour therapy is 'an active, directive, brief, time-limited, structured approach which targets unhelpful thinking styles and beliefs, and assists the person to develop more helpful behaviours. It emphasises self -responsibility and the development of helpful coping skills.

This approach to treatment is based on many years of research and employs sound therapeutic techniques in collaboration, with the patient who is viewed as an equal and active participant in the therapy.

For more information on cognitive behaviour therapy click here or go to...

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Treatment Programs

Perth clinic offers a range of treatment programmes for depression. Admission to one of the following programmes begins with a thorough assessment to gauge which program is most suitable initially. The person can them be moved between programmes as progress is made.

Structured care
The structured Care Programme aims to provide support, structure and meaning for those individuals who have extreme levels of anxiety, depression, stress or other severe symptoms which need to be stabilised or contained.

Within the therapy programme patients are involved in activity-based therapy, social outings, education, self-esteem/self awareness activities, crisis management, daily/weekend planning and re-motivation groups.

The programme is based on attendance from 9.15 am to 3.00 pm daily. This offers three group sessions daily of 1.5 hours each (4.5 hours contact time daily).

Acute Admissions Programme
The Acute Admissions Programme is a flexible, intensive therapy programme designed to deal with severe anxiety and depression symptoms. It provides patients with the opportunity to develop new insights, goals and coping strategies for dealing with their problems using brief, solution focused and cognitive behavioural therapy approaches.

Patients discuss topics which include depression and anxiety management, goal setting, daily planning, social networks, coping skills training, relaxation techniques, self awareness and discharge planning.

The programme is based on attendance from 9.15 am to 3.00 pm daily. This offers three group sessions daily of 1.5 hours each (4.5 hours contact time daily).

Intensive closed group CBT Program
The intensive cognitive behavioural therapy programme is aimed at assisting people with a wide range of moderate to severe psychological, social and behavioural difficulties. The main aim of the intensive cognitive behavioural therapy programme is to help participants develop their skills and resources so they can deal more effectively with their problems. It also aims to assist people to develop more balanced lifestyles. The emphasis of the programme is on building confidence in the use of more effective coping strategies to deal with stress and problems thus allowing the participants to feel more in control of their lives and themselves.

A wide range of material is covered in the programme:

Although some sections of the programme are highly structured, provision is made within sessions to meet the differing needs of each individual participant. An important characteristic of the programme is that it is flexible and responsive to the needs of each group member.

Other topics are included into the program depending upon the participants' needs, including anger management, management of guilt, and grief resolution.

Each day begins at 9.00 am and concludes at 4.45pm Patients are in a group of up to eight participants for the two weeks. The are four sessions in the day commencing at 9.00 am to 4.45 pm. . Days are structured so that participants work intensively together for 3 sessions of 90 minutes each. The last session of each day provides an opportunity for participants to fully unwind in a relaxation session before heading home.

Patients are also offered two follow-up sessions at six and twelve weeks after the group. At this time their progress can be monitored and their application of skills and techniques learned in the programme can be reviewed.

What does Homework mean and do we have to do it?
The CBT program at Perth Clinic is highly effective if you - the participant - are willing to make the commitment to try the strategies we teach you. Homework plays an important role in the recovery process as the major part of therapy takes place in everyday life, where the participant puts into practise the skills learnt in the group sessions.

Participants are assigned homework tasks which give you the opportunity to practice what you've learnt. Time is set aside each week to undertake such practice on your own. Participants may also be encouraged to do specific tasks each night and at the weekend.

If you are concerned that you didn't enjoy homework at school, and that you are not a great student, do not despair. Our homework is completely different from that and comprises a healthy mixture of self-nurturing tasks and active practice tasks. For instance, a very depressed person might be assigned the task of going for a long slow walk in the local park or at the beach and to pay particular attention to their surroundings and their resultant pleasure. Or, a highly anxious person who has for years avoided shopping centres for fear of having a panic attack - they did last time they went to one - will be taught some anxiety management strategies to practice as they slowly build up the confidence to now approach a shopping centre.

All tasks are designed to be a little bit challenging but not too much so that you feel too scared to try. We know that there is nothing to be gained from pushing someone too far too fast. Thus, therapists don't force you to do anything you don't feel confident or capable of doing. Tasks are developed in collaboration between therapists and each participant. That is, you are very much involved in deciding what and how much you do as homework.

Of course, if you elect not to do any homework, then the chances of your improvement through CBT is significantly reduced! You make the choice.

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