| Hypothyroidism and depression are two disorders that are associated with much common symptomology. Fatigue, mental and physical slowing, forgetfulness, attention and concentration difficulties, and mood disturbances are characteristic of both conditions. Women have a 10:1 increased incidence of hypothyroidism relative to men. This rate compares to women's 2:1 increased risk of depression. Moreover, both of these conditions share some symptoms, making it difficult at times to identify which symptoms are related to which condition. With midlife, the incidence of hypothyroidism increases significantly. The baby boom cohort is rapidly reaching this midpoint in life. With this stage, then, the expectation is that many thousands of women will be at risk for hypothyroidism. As a cohort, these women are better educated, more financially secure, and take a greater responsibility for being informed about matters of health than have previous cohorts, while also expecting extended lifespans. It is not likely that they will approach the latter half of their lives without efforts to secure the best treatment available for conditions that could affect their future cognitive capability and emotional well-being. Because of its often-insidious onset and documented deleterious effects on life functioning, hypothyroidism, even in its milder forms, would seem to be an area of interest to health practitioners generally, including psychologists, behooving them to gain the information and skills to help treat these persons effectively. This paper seeks to shed light on the similarities and areas of overlapping symptomology common to hypothyroidism and depression and the potential difficulty in diagnosis and treatment that such similarity may pose for the clinician. Additionally, this study attempts to provide a glimpse of understanding regarding women's experience of hypothyroidism and its effects on their quality of life. A comprehensive biomedical and psychosocial model is postulated with a particular emphasis on how women's healthy relationships may moderate effects of their disorder on their experience, and the importance of such issues in understanding the genesis and means of coping with chronic illness and autoimmune dysfunction. |
