Living in 21st century is stressful and depression has become a serious illness that almost 20 million Americans face each year. Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feeling of sadness and a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home.
By comparing the results of the relationship between depression and stigma in a study, it will provide evidence to why some people struggling with depression find it much harder to get rid of it. In The Lancet, Antonio Lasalvia and colleagues surveyed over 1000 adults with depression in over 35 different countries. In their investigation over 79% of the adults with depression said they had experienced discrimination and been stigmatized by their peers (Jorm and Reavley 2013:10). Around 30% of the adults said they stopped themselves from interacting with society and engaging in social activities because of anticipated discrimination (Jorm and Reavley 2013:10). Therefore the discrimination and stigma around depression acts as a barrier to help seeking.
At times some people can appear happy and joyful, but inside they’re struggling with the symptoms of depression. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines depression as,” a state of being depressed, dejection” and “a mood disorder.” Being depressed is a real illness. Depression affects 3 to 5 percent of children and adolescents. At some point in life, we may
It is the most common of all mental health problems. Researchers estimate that 17 million Americans, or even much more, suffer from depression at some point in their lives. You are not alone! It is not just a passing blue mood, or the normal pain and sadness that follows loss of a loved one, or the "downside" in life 's ordinary ups and downs. The feelings of emptiness, helplessness, worthlessness, hopelessness and despair are intense, unrelenting and pervasive to such an extent that these affects your the day-to-day life, affecting your ability to work, study, eat, and sleep.
In several situations, it could be attributed to factors like imbalances and changes in the hormonal levels, genetics or other such stimulants for which a medical and family history would become required. In other situations, it might not be possible to understand and analyse the cause for the condition to have developed in the first place. Major social causes for depression among youth include the following: Competition - Competition as a value is ingrained into all of us right from our childhood. The underlying belief that emerging victorious from the fray displays strength while coming up short only proves weakness often adversely affects individuals leading to depression. Peer Pressure – The pressure to conform and obtain approval from one’s social group can lead to individuals feeling confused and at odds with themselves.
A problem in relating to depression is that, it is difficult to analyze. It is not like other diseases like pneumonia that can see physical signs that can point to the condition. There are visible signs that are related to depression, but it is not always present or seen immediately. In today’s generation, depression is mainly felt by teenagers. It is important that people, especially who are close to the person who are experiencing depression, should know something about the disorder.
They would most likely tell her that she has depression because her mother had depression and that she got it through her genetics. He would then talk about her biological symptoms including her sleep patterns, appetite, physical and mental fatigue and of course her loss of pleasure in life. He would ask her what medications she is on because since her symptoms are severe it is best to have her on
There are two types of explanations of depression one is biological and the other is psychological. Biological Explanations of Depression The biological explanations of depression refers to two factors one being neurotransmitter dysfunction and the other being inherited genes. The biological approach towards the neurotransmitter would explain how depression is associated with low levels of serotonin within the brain which would affect the functioning of the brain. This is associated with maladaptive behavior e.g. anger, mood disorder and anxiety.
These feelings persist over the years and it can cause emotional issues and sometimes even self-sabotage, according to John V. Caffaro. Psychologists at The University of Missouri conducted a research on this topic and surveyed 145 adolescent sibling pairs. The children were asked questions about their sibling relationships, their self-esteem and about symptoms of depression and anxiety. It was found that children with high self-esteem had fewer issues with their siblings in the beginning of the study. Children who had more problems with their siblings in the beginning of the study were more likely to develop mood problems over the year.
The study evaluates the effect of adolescent depression after a decade with respect to social, demographic, and health outcomes. The results suggest a significant correlation with depression recurrence, migraine headaches and lower level of self-reported health status. There is little correlation with the individual’s education, career, income or relationship status. An analysis of these outcomes helps in understanding the effect of adolescent depression and need for screening and treatment. Richardson, L.P., Ludman, E., McCauley, E., Lindenbaum, J., Larison, C., Zhou, C., Clarke, G., Brent, D., & Katon, W. (2014, August 27).