According to medical statistics, a majority of the 17.4 million adults in the United States who suffer from mood disorders — depression, manic depressive illness — do not seek treatment. So when Dr. Susan M. Davis claims that members of the Jewish community with affective disorders are even less likely to seek professional assistance, there’s cause for alarm.
“Being that the Jewish community is relatively small, Jews are reluctant to seek help,” says the therapist, citing the continued stigma attached to such psychological afflictions.
That’s why Davis’ employer, Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (JFS), an agency of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, has launched its Center for Mood Disorders. Led by Davis, this new program provides information about affective disorders, including their causes and symptons, as well as advice on recommended treatment. Underwritten by a Jewish Community Foundation grant, the JFS program will help people discern whether or not they (or someone in their lives) may be caught in the throes of a mood disorder scenario. The Center offers access to educational workshops, support groups and confidential consultations.
Many Jews suffering from depression may not have themselves to blame. While men and women definitely exhibit considerable stress in these often complex modern times, Davis cites that some recent studies have isolated a genetic predisposition among Ashkenazi Jews toward affective disorders. In a mid-1990s Brown University study, for instance, Dr. Robert Kohn and Dr. Itzak Levav had analyzed 1980s Federal Government statistics, and took a survey of mental illness among 4,583 white adults in the Los Angeles and New Haven vicinity. The focus group included 431 Jewish males. From that ratio, the researchers concluded that Jews were three times more prone to depression than the general public.
However, there is some debate over the accuracy of such research, and whether a trend among Ashkenazis sincerely exists. Holly Peay, genetic counsellor and recruitment coordinator with the Epidemiology and Genetics Program at John Hopkins School of Medicine, believes that such evidence is overblown and inconclusive.
“There are a couple studies that gave that impression,” Peay told the Journal. “[However] we don’t feel that those studies are conclusive enough. We think it’s the same in the Jewish population and regular population.”
Regardless of statistics, for many Jews, mood disorders are an all-too-present reality. And Davis says that it will take more than some moxie for people to shake depressive behavior when they are relentlessly dogged by crippling self-esteem and incessant self-criticism. She cites the “brain imaging” that takes place — literally a chemical imbalance where the fear mechanism dominates the psyche.
“It isn’t just the will of getting through,” says Davis on finding solace. “It isn’t about having the right attitude. It’s genetic.”
Indeed, Peay confirms that bi-polar disorders are akin to a baffling genetic flea circus.
“They’re a very complex interaction between genes and the environment,” says the John Hopkins University researcher. “We don’t really understand this relationship completely. It gets really cloudy sometimes.”
Davis says she is very wary of the facile dependence on medication as remedy that has almost become glamorized in the mainstream culture over the past decade.
“It’s almost like if you pop the pill you’ll get better,” says Davis. “If you don’t work on some of the underlying reasons, it won’t solve anything.”
Speaking from her experience working in the front line of psychiatric treatment, Davis says that December is historically a fertile time for the blues. And she emphasizes that this fin de siecle New Year will be especially difficult for many people, as they weigh in “expectations where they would be by the new millennium…[There will be] more feelings of loneliness, disappointment that they haven’t reached certain goals, attained certain things.”
As far as a solution to remedy mood disorders, Peay asserts that there is reason for optimism with the research underway.
“We’re very positive. We’re getting closer… trying to narrow it down [to the right gene],” says Peay. “From that, we hope that some these drug companies will develop a drug that will get to the cause of the problem, rather than the symptoms.”
But until that day arrives, Davis says that 80 percent of people can improve their condition if symptoms are recognized early enough to prevent the kind of despair that may lead to suicide. With proper evaluation, the JFS counsellor believes that a presciption of psychotherapy and medication can effectively subdue chronic depression. And now that the Foundation has come through with additional financial aid, JFS is more capable than ever to assist those in psychiatric need.
“With this grant, we’re able to really publicize, provide free educational workshops, and have extra staff to run the support groups,” says Davis. “The whole idea is to provide education for the Jewish community.”
Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles will hold a two-part educational workshop titled “Holiday Blues” at 7 p.m. on two consecutive Thurs., Dec. 9 and Thurs., Dec. 16 at 2050 S. Bundy Dr. ‘ 270, W. Los Angeles. Workshops are free, but reservations are required. Contact Dr. Susan M. Davis at (310) 820-4111.
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