What Is Masked Depression?

You may have heard about the mind-body connection -- how the power of the mind can influence how your body feels. If you feel depressed, you may sense it in your bones -- your body may ache and your head may be pounded by migraines. Masked depression revolves around this mind-body concept. When "masked," this type of depression can manifest itself in ways not seen in classic depression -- adults may complain of constant fatigue and pain, but doctors may find no cause, or children and young adults may act out -- masking the depression behind anger and a defiance of authority.

History

• In the 19th century, Victorian doctors identified an ailment they coined "neurasthenia." This common affliction was characterized by severe exhaustion. But the doctors could find no medical cause, nor did those suffering from it complain of anything that pointed to a psychological illness. Modern-day doctors now believe neurasthenia is actually masked depression.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• Some doctors say what in the Victorian days was called neurasthenia is similar to CFS. Like neurasthenia, those with chronic fatigue experience significant stress or life changes before the illness first shows itself. Also like neurasthenia, they had all the physical symptoms associated with depression but not the psychological ones -- and no clear biological reason for why they were experiencing these physical problems.

Symptoms

• Masked depression often manifests itself as headaches, stomach pain, a nagging ache in the lower back and pain in the jaw. In younger adults and children, doctors often refer to it being manifested through behavioral problems. A depressed teen, for example, may act out in class or at home. In adults, masked depression may initially be diagnosed as hypochondria, as a medical practitioner may be unable to find an organic cause for the physical symptoms.

Cause

• Like classic depression, it's believed that this form of depression is caused when serotonin is disrupted in the body. The chemical not only helps to regulate mood, but it also helps to regulate pain. When serotonin levels are thrown off, the depression can be experienced as pain in different parts of the body.

Treatment

• The ability to properly treat masked depression has long been an enigma because it is often mis-diagnosed, so the wrong course of treatment may be prescribed. In most cases, the disease may go untreated because the doctor can't find a root cause for the problem since the patient isn't feeling or complaining of any psychological problems. In this case, the root of the problem is psychological and should be treated with antidepressants.