Depression is the most common mental health disorder; it affects over 17 million American adults each year. Depression is a mood disorder characterized by at least four symptoms such as changes in sleep, appetite, weight, and psychomotor activity; decreased energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt; difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions; or recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal ideation, thoughts or attempts. “Women are approximately two times more likely than men to suffer from major depression” (Research Agenda for Psychosocial and Behavioral Factors in Women’s Health, 1996) and it has been called the most significant mental health risk for women. Women are more likely to suffer from depression during marriage than if single, unlike men who are more likely to suffer depression when single than married, and increases with the number of children in the house (American Psychiatric Association, 1994, p.317). There are many contributing factors to depression in women including but not limited to: hormonal, genetic, infertility, menopause, family responsibilities, gender roles, sexual abuse, work related issues, and financial problems. (National Institute of Mental Health, June 1999). Depression in women is mentally and physically painful but has treatment options available. Depression is well known for its mental or emotional symptoms. Symptoms for depression include: persistently sad or unhappy mood, loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyable activities, difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions, anxiety, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, and thoughts of death or dying. “People who have endured a major depressive episode describe the experience as a descent into t... ... middle of paper ... ...chiatric Association. (2012). “Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders” (4th Ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Depression. (2012). Harvard Women’s Health Watch, 5(3), 2. McGrath, E. C., McGonagle, K.A., Zhao, S., Nelson, C.B., Hughes, M., Eshleman, S., Wittchen, H-U., & Kendler, K.S.(2007).Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 51, 3-14. National Institute of Mental Health. (2014). “Depression: What Every Woman Should Know”. Pub No. 95-3871. National Institute of Mental Health. (2013). “American Attitudes about Clinical Depression and its Treatment. Research agenda for psychological and behavioral factors in women’s health. (2012, February). Washington, DC: Women’s Programs Office, American Psychological Association.
Major depressive disorder is a mood disorder characterized by the DSM-5 of depressed mood and markedly diminished interest or pleasure in nearly all activities occurring nearly every day, for most of the day, as indicated by a subjective self-report or an observational report from others. Individuals who have depression also tend to experience significant weight loss, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation, fatigue and loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, diminished ability to concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of death. Most people who suffer from depression usually experience major depressive episodes in unipolar major depression, while some others experience both depressive and manic episodes in bipolar
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
U.S. Public Health Service.(1999). The Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health. Retrieved June 5, 2000, from http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/home.html. Veroff,J.,Douvan,E.,& Kulka,R.A.(1981).
According to research, African American women face tougher hardships when dealing with depression. This is a research proposal examining how African American females rate their levels of depression. The National Institute of Mental Health defined depression as “a mental illness when someone experiences sadness and a lack of interest in everyday social activities.” The DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance) stated that at least 14.8 million American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older, suffer from some form of depression. Depression is sometimes used to describe those that are sad from time to time with or without “valid” explanation as well as those who often feel lonely or neglected. No matter what
“Women are two times more likely to develop depressive symptoms then men”(Psychosocial and Behavioral Factors in Women’s Health, 1990), and women who are among the child-bearing years tend to be more at risk. However this is not to say that men are not affected by depression. It is usually, because of negative social influences, such as economic instability, and/or the inability to handle stress in their lives.
Depression is a serious mental health illness which affects an individuals’ mind, body and mood. It is a chronic and lifelong health condition (NICE, 2006) thought to be caused by a number of biological factors including neurotransmitter disturbances in the brain and an element of genetic vulnerability; these are often in addition to psychosocial factors such as the occurrence of undesirable life events, limited social network options, poor self esteem and the occurrence of any adverse life events during a persons’ lifetime (Bernstein, 2006). Depression can have an impact on a persons’ ability to do many things including working, engaging with others, participating fully in family life or maintaining relationships, and it can also impact on a person...
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Fourth Edition. Arlington : American Psychiatric Association.
Clinical depression is very common. Over nine million Americans are diagnosed with clinical depression at some point in their lives. Many more people suffer from clinical depression because they do not seek treatment. They may feel that depression is a personal weakness, or try to cope with their symptoms alone. On the other hand, some people are comfortable with admitting their symptoms and seeking help. Such a discrepancy may account for the differences in reported cases of depression between men and women, which indicate that more than twice the numbers of women than men are clinically depressed. According to the numbers of reported cases of depression, 25% of women and 10% of men will have one or more episodes of clinical depression during their lifetimes.
Kahn, Ada P., and Jan Fawcett. The Encyclopedia of Mental Health. 2nd ed. New York: Facts On File, 2001.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Pub.
Depression is much more common than most people think. Because it is essentially an invisible illness and is largely in the mind, it is difficult to correctly diagnose it and most people suffer for months, years, or even decades with depression. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines depression as “a mood disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit suicide.” Most medical definitions are able to explain what happens and why it does, but after carefully examining this one, we only notice that it explains what happens, but not why. Usually, the symptoms of an illness are...
Depression is most common in women. The rates are twice as high as they are in men. According to the National Mental Health Association, about one in every eight women will develop depression at some point during her lifetime. Women’s symptoms are similar to major depression. Some of them include being in a depressed mood, loss of interest in activities you used to like, feelings of guilt and hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts or recurrent thought of death. Women tend to blame themselves, feel anxious and scared, and avoid conflicts at all costs. They also use food, friends, and love to self-medicate. Some causes of depression in women are premenstrual problems, pregnancy and inf...
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
People with depression may oversleep or sleep for fewer hours. Depression also influences one’s energy levels, regardless of the amount of sleep. Some depressed people may become nervous and easily agitated, pacing rapidly or constantly fidgeting. Many experience extreme lethargy, losing motivation and will to carry on. An incredibly common feeling is depression is the feeling of a burden too great. This may be standards of other people, social anxiety, or traumatic experiences. Depressed people may also have difficulty thinking, poor concentration, and problems with memory. The feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, guilt, and self-blame are those among the most commonly recorded. This leads to the major influence of depression on the world, suicidal thoughts and actions. At least fifteen percent of seriously depressed people commit suicide, successfully. In return, ninety percent of people who kill themselves have depression or a mental illness in relation to depression. In some severe cases, people with depression experience psychotic symptoms, including delusions and