HEALTH REPORT - Testing for Depression

HEALTH REPORT –August 21, 2002: Testing for Depression

By Lawan Davis
This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Depression is a medical condition that causes intense feelings of sadness. Depression interferes¹
with daily life.

Common signs of depression are lack of energy, loss of interest in things you once enjoyed,
difficulty thinking, problems sleeping or eating and thoughts of death. Depression also can be
hidden by physical problems such as headache, back pain, and stomach sickness.

PET scan² of

depressed³ brain Often, people suffering depression do not realize their feelings of sadness are
due to a medical condition. They do not seek medical treatment.

Medical experts say depression can affect anyone. There is no way to prevent it. However, the
disease can be treated successfully. The sooner an affected⁴ person gets medical help, the better
the chances of a quick and full recovery.

After recovery

Depression is a common illness in the United States. It affects about twenty-million adults.
(Photos -U.S.

However, as many as two-thirds of them do not seek medical treatment for depression.
National Institute
of Mental Health)

The United States Preventive Services Task Force is a group of health experts. The group examines published
research and makes suggestions about preventive health care.

The Preventive Services Task Force recently published a study that says doctors should test all adult patients for
depression during normal office visits. Alfred Berg of the University of Washington in Seattle led the study.
Doctor Berg says there is no evidence that one method of testing for depression works better than another
method. He says asking two simple questions worked as well as using more complex methods.

The two questions are: “Have you felt sad or hopeless during the past two weeks?”And, “Have you felt little
interest or happiness in doing things?”If a patient answered “yes”to either question, the doctor asked more
detailed⁵ questions. These questions helped establish whether the problems were temporary or if they had lasted
longer than a normal time. The questions also established if the problems interfered⁶ with the patient’s daily
activities.

Medical experts say patients can be successfully treated for depression with medicines or by talking with a
trained professional who treats mental disorders⁷.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Lawan Davis.

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1 interferes   

vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉

参考例句：

• The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
• That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。

2 scan   

n.审视，浏览，扫描，押韵，细查；vt.细看，浏览，扫描，详细调查，信件扫描（指BBS处理直递邮件或会议邮件时，对所有或特定信区做检查的动作）

参考例句：

• The first scan was bad, so I had to do it again.第一次扫描不好，所以我得重做。
• A scan determines the position of the baby in the womb.扫描可以确定胎儿在子宮中的位置。

3 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

6 interfered   

v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉

参考例句：

• Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》