Las Mascaras de La Depresion: Vivir Sufriendo y Sufrir Viviendo

Mexican clinical psychiatrist Lammoglia has authored or co-authored numerous publications (e.g., Las familias alcoh""licas [Alcoholic Families], Grijalbo, 2000) and participated in several radio and television programs. In his introduction, he catches the reader's attention by describing his personal experience with antidepressants as a 10-year-old and the years of childhood therapy that led him to choose criminology and psychiatry as his life vocations. Lammoglia defines depression and its causes in detailed yet simple language, complementing his descriptions with personal testimonies and case studies of depressed patients from his practice and radio programs. He also dedicates specific sections of his book to the relationship between gender roles and depression in women and to the particular symptoms of childhood depression, among them changes in behavior or school performance, sadness, and changes in eating and sleeping patterns. Lammoglia examines treatment options such as antidepressants and psychotherapy to help the reader the most. Finally, a self-administered test helps the reader detect possible symptoms of depression and rule out other psychological disorders and physical illnesses usually confused with the disease, such as panic disorder, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and AIDS. This well-researched and culturally sensitive resource is useful for both mental health professionals and the general public. Recommended for public libraries and bookstores. Karen Y. Ramirez, NYC Board of Education