Discussing Depression in Spanish

Discussing Depression in Spanish

Discussing Depression in Spanish

This is Lesson 1 of 5 in our Mental Health in Spanish series.

In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn how to talk about depression with your patients in Spanish: Cómo hablar sobre la depresión en español con tus pacientes.

In this lesson we’re looking at:

  1. The SIG E CAPS acronym to assess mood in Spanish
  2. The PHQ-9 instrument (in Spanish) for depression screening
  3. Vocabulary and questions to describe mood in Spanish
  4. Titles of various mental health providers in Spanish
  5. Describing types of therapies in Spanish
  6. Describing antidepressants in Spanish

Here is the Discussing Depression in Spanish lesson that I taught on YouTube and to our Facebook group:

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see all of our lessons and get the latest videos right away!

Emociones: ¿Cómo se siente? – Emotions: How do you feel?

Let’s start with a basic vocabulary about emotions in Spanish. We have a handful of emotions here, but none of them are positive since we are focusing on the other end of the spectrum.

SpanishEnglish
Aburrido/aBored
Agitado/aAgitated
Agotado/aDrained
Ansioso/aAnxious
Así, asíSo, so
Cansado/aTired
Confundido/aConfused
Decaído/aPhysically and emotionally low
Deprimido/aDepressed
Desesperado/aHopeless
Entumecido/aNumb
Enfermo/aSick, ill
Enojado/aAngry
Frustrado/aFrustrated
IgualThe same
Inquieto/aRestless
Inseguro/aUnsafe
Insensibilizado/aMetaphorically numb
(muy) Mal(very) Bad, not well, ill
Más o menosMore or less
Nervioso/aNervous
PeorWorst
Preocupado/aWorried
RegularJust ok
Solitario/aLonely, alone
TristeSad

PHQ-9 Question: ¿Se ha sentido decaído(a), deprimido(a), o sin esperanzas?
Have you felt physically and emotionally low, depressed and hopeless?

Vocabulario Útil… – Useful Vocabulary

In this section, we are going to learn how to use other verbs to ask about feelings.

Verbos útiles con emociones:

  • Estar: (To be)
    • ¿Está… ? – Are you…?
    • ¿Ha estado…? – Have you been…?
  • Sentirse (e-ie): (To feel)
    • ¿Se siente… ? – Do you feel…?
    • ¿Se ha sentido… ? – Have you felt…?
  • Tener (e-ie): (To have)
    • ¿Tiene… ? – Do you have…?
    • ¿Ha tenido…? – Have you had…?

Duración/Frecuencia de tiempo:

  • Casi todos los días / Almost every day
  • Con frecuencia / Frequently
  • De vez en cuando / From time to time
  • En los últimos meses / In the recent months
  • En las últimas semanas / In the last or recent weeks
  • Más de la mitad de los días / More than half of the days
  • Nunca / Never
  • Recientemente / Recently
  • Todo el día / All day long

Ejemplos de uso:

  • ¿Se ha sentido culpable las últimas semanas? / Have you felt guilty in the recent weeks?
  • ¿Se siente triste más de la mitad de los días? / Do you feel sad more than half of the days?

Acrónimo SIG E CAPS

This acronym is useful to talk through and figure out where someone’s at emotionally.

  • S: Sleep – Sueño
  • I: Interest – Interés
  • G: Guilt – Culpa
  • E: Energy – Energía
  • C: Concentration – Concentración
  • A: Appetite – Apetito
  • P: Psychomotor – Psicomotor
  • S: Suicide – Suicidio

Sleep – Sueño

Unas preguntas comunes sobre el sueño:

  • ¿Ha tenido dificultad para dormir? – Have you had difficulty sleeping?
  • ¿Ha tenido dificultad para dormirse? – Have you had difficulty falling asleep?
  • ¿Duerme bien? – Do you sleep well?
  • ¿Cuántas horas duerme por noche? – How many hours at night do you sleep?
  • ¿Es más o menos de lo normal? – Is that more or less than normal?
  • ¿Se despierta en la noche? – Do you wake up at night?
  • ¿Por qué piensa que no duerme bien? – Why do you think you are not sleeping well?

PHQ-9 Question: ¿Ha tenido dificultad para quedarse o permanecer dormido(a)? ¿O ha dormido demasiado?
Have you had trouble falling or staying asleep? Or have you slept too much?

Interest – Interés

Unas preguntas comunes sobre los intereses del paciente:

  • ¿Qué cosas le gustan hacer? – What things do you enjoy doing?
  • Ha cambiado su interés en actividades que antes disfrutaba? – Has your interest level changed in activities you previously enjoyed?
  • ¿Ha perdido interés en algo? – Has you lost interest in anything?
  • ¿Ha tenido menos interés en algo? – Have you had less interest in something?
  • ¿Ha notado menos deseo sexual? /¿una bajada en la libido? – Have you noticed less sexual desire or a lower libido?

PHQ-9 Question: ¿Ha tenido poco interés o placer en hacer cosas?
Have you had little interest or pleasure in doing things?

You can get all the SIG E CAPS acronym questions and the PHQ-9 Test by downloading the lesson notes right away…

Unas realidades sobre la inmigración – Some realities about immigration

When we think about life events and life situations that contribute to developing depression, it’s a good idea to think about some realities about immigration because there is a possibility that a connection exists between them.

Es probable que un inmigrante experimenta/vive – It is likely that an immigrant experiences / lives:

  • Inestabilidad en el trabajo – instability at work
  • Múltiples trabajos – multiple jobs
  • Inestabilidad del hogar – housing instability
  • Separación de familiares – familial separation
  • Traumas durante inmigración – Traumas during immigration
  • Ingresos bajos – Lower income
  • Dificultades sistémicas en buscar atención médica – Systemic difficulties in seeking medical attention

¿Ha pasado algún cambio grande en la vida recientemente? – Has there been a big change in life recently?

When you think about those life situations that might be contributing to depression, you might ask questions regarding the following topics:

  • Muerte – Death
  • Divorcio – Divorce
  • Demasiadas responsabilidades – Too many responsibilities
  • Mudarse – Moving
  • Enfermedades graves – Serious illnesses
  • Pérdida de empleo o problemas en el trabajo – Job loss or problems at work
  • Problemas con finanzas – Financial issues
  • Problemas con otros miembros de la familia – Issues with other family members

Now let’s talk about medication – Medicamentos

¿Alguna vez ha tomado un antidepresivo? – Have you ever tried taking an antidepressant?

  • ¿Cómo le fue? – How did it go?
  • ¿Le ayudó? – Did it help?
  • ¿Se sintió mejor? – Did you feel better?

Los antidepresivos – Antidepressants

  • Inhibidores selectivos de recaptación de serotonina – Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
    • Prozac, Celexa, Zoloft
  • Inhibidores selectivos de recaptación de serotonina y norepinefrina – Selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
    • Effexor, Cymbalta
  • Tricíclicos – Tricyclic
  • Inhibidores de monoamino oxidasa – Monoamine oxidase inhibitors

Apuntes – Notes

When talking about medications, specially antidepressants, you might find yourself expressing some of these instructions:

  • Es muy importante tomar los medicamentos como están indicados.
    • It’s very important to take medications as directed.
  • Cuando empieza un medicamento nuevo, es normal tardar hasta 3-4 semanas para sentir los efectos del medicamento.
    • When you are starting a new medication, it is normal to take up to 3-4 weeks to feel the effects of the medication.

Psicoterapia y Profesionales – Psycotherapy & Professionals

  • Asociado médico psiquiátrico – Psychiatric PA
  • Consejero(a) certificado – Certified counselor
  • Consejero pastoral – Pastoral counselor
  • Enfermera de práctica avanzada psiquiátrica – Psychiatric MP
  • Proveedor de salud mental – Mental Health provider
  • Psicólogo(a) – Psychologist
  • Psiquiatra – Psychiatrist
  • Terapeuta familiar y de matrimonios Marriage and Family therapist
  • Trabajador social – Social worker

Some questions about therapy:

¿Alguna vez ha intentado la terapia (consejería, asesorías) con un terapeuta certificado? – Have you ever tried therapy with a certified therapist?

  • ¿Cómo le fue? – How did it go?
  • ¿Le ayudó? – Did it help?
  • ¿Se sintió mejor? – Did you feel better?

¿Le gustaría que le remitiera a un proveedor de salud mental certificado? – Would you like me to I refer you to a certified mental health provider?

Terapias para la depresión – Therapies for Depression

Hay dos tipos principales de psicoterapia: de corto plazo (10-20 semanas) o de largo plazo (más tiempo 🙂

1. Terapia cognitivo-conductual – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

  • Hay una énfasis en enseñar nuevas maneras de pensar y comportarse.
    • There is an emphasis on teaching new ways of thinking and behaving.
  • Ayuda a las personas a cambiar sus pensamientos y comportamientos negativos por un estilo de pensar y portarse más positivo.
    • It helps people change their negative thoughts and behaviors into a more positive way of thinking and behaving

2. Terapia interpersonal – Interpersonal Therapy

  • Ayuda a las personas a entender y resolver relaciones personales que pueden causar o empeorar su depresión.
    • It helps people understand and resolve personal relationships that either cause or worsen their depression.

More relevant vocabulary – Más vocabulario relevante

SpanishEnglish
El autocuidadoSelfcare
El ejercicioExercise
El sueñoSleep
La aceptaciónAceptance
La atenciónAttention, Mindfulness
La conexión familiarFamily connection
La conexión socialSocial connection
La dopaminaDopamine
La higieneHygiene
La nutriciónNutrition
La participación socialSocial engagement
La serotoninaSerotonin
Las habilidades para enfrentar situaciones en la vidaCoping skills
Los ejercicios para relajarseRelaxation exercises
Químicos en el cerebroChemicals in the brain

Su tarea – Your Homework

  • Talk through SIG E CAPS and/or the PHQ-9 with your conversation partner
  • Ask the questions
  • Use the vocabulary
  • Talk about treatment options

Now it’s your turn! I packaged all of this vocabulary in Spanish into some flashcards for you to study.

Keep up the good work speaking responsible Spanish to your patients! Check out our other books, classes & products to help you learn medical Spanish!

*If the link isn’t working for you, you may need to unblock pop-ups in your browser settings

Other posts in this Mental Health series:

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