Interesting article. I'm in a tailspin of inflammation, seasonal depression, pain and stiffness right now (usual stuff for the winter for me, unfortunately) and it is comforting to know that the balance between mind and body is being examined in depth.
Yes, really interesting article, Tara. When I told the rheumatologist (not one of the regular docs) at the clinic about the positive effect that I thought Enbrel was having on my depression, she laughed and said that it was because my pain levels were improved, which would help me feel less depressed. Mental comment to self, "I don’t think so, doc!"
There really is something in this, and it’s exciting.
I think that as they do more research, depression will be divided up into different categories. I know there's a lot of interest right now in differentiating between depression and grief (complicated and uncomplicated), and once they've worked that out somewhat perhaps there will be more of a drive to differentiate between organic and situational depression. I think having a disease that is painful and restricting could definitely serve as a catalyst for depression and I also think that the normal adjustment to this disease could easily look like depression to the person experiencing it and to a lot of clinicians.