A Connection Between Human Depression and Mice Behavior

A scientific study discovered that differing personalities in mice give insight into human depression. This was published by Eneritz Gomez, a psychologist at the University of the Basque Country. Her findings are thought to give valuable clues to realize how human deal with depression symptoms and behaviors such as committing suicide.

These differing personalities have shown that some mice are able to cope and some succumb to behavior that is alike to human depression. The study illustrates how coping with stress varies in each being.

“Not all living things possess adequate coping skills, which can often lead to depression,” said Gomez.

She hopes that the “findings will provide the information needed to devise more specialized treatments for depression.”

Depression is a brain illness. The causes of depression could be environmental, psychological, genetic or biochemical factors such as taking drugs and alcohol.

The criteria for depression include digestive problems, migraines, fatigue, reduced sex drive and social activities withdrawal, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Depression May Bring Harmful Side Effects

In August 2011, a new incident of an antidepressant-related suicide was reported. Wade Belak, a retired 35-year old National Hockey League player was found lifeless in a Toronto hotel due to a plain suicide. Wade Belak, 35, was found dead in a Toronto hotel with an apparent suicide. He was a retired National Hockey League player. An article in Globe and Mail reveals that his mom knew that Belak was battling depression and was taking antidepressant drugs. Ultimately, the real exact reason for Belak’s suicide is impossible to find out.~So, the exact reason of Belak’s suicide is almost impossible to determine.

In June 2001, according to Medical Publishing’s Prescription Medicines, Side Effects and Natural Alternatives, a jury in Wyoming determined that an antidepressant drug Paxil caused a man to commit suicide and before doing so, he also murdered his wife, daughter and granddaughter. The family of the victims received an award of $8 million in damages.

When put into therapy after their suicide attempts, most patients’ reason is “trying to escape from a situation that seemed impossible to deal with or to get relief from really bad thoughts or feelings.” In other words, they were suffering from depression.

Research Links Antidepressant Intake to Suicides

The US Food and Drug Administration, in 2005, has mandated public health advisories stating that taking antidepressant drugs can incite suicidal thoughts. These warnings were considered to be late by the victims of Zoloft. The FDA additionally asked the manufacturers to clearly attach explicit label cautions about the antidepressant’s harmful side effects such as the risk of suicide.

The FDA found that antidepressants could make teenagers and children hostile, violent, irrational and suicidal, through analyzing results from 372 studies regarding the drug. Furthermore, the FDA in 2007 released Zoloft warnings on the drug’s risk of increasing suicidal thoughts and behavior. The FDA directed antidepressant manufacturing companies to place a “black box” warning to the drug. Black box warnings are placed if the drug carries risk of a permanently-disabling, life threatening, or fatal side effect.

In addition to these warnings and reviews, medical reports from patients also include complaints about the negative side effects of the drug. This incited them to file Zoloft lawsuit against its manufacturer, Pfizer.