Great Depression Research Paper

1000 Words2 Pages

I did not have to look very far for a real-world problem that psychology can address. I had to look no further than my own family to see the problem of depression. For example, my maternal grandmother has high blood pressure, has had two heart valves replaced, in addition to back problems. Although she is still able to live alone, both of her children live at least four hours away. Often she exclaims “I just don’t feel good” or “I don’t feel like going anywhere”. It doesn’t take much to wonder if she is lonely or if she is feeling socially isolated. This lack of willingness to do anything, at times, actually makes her feel worse physically. On the other side of my family, my paternal grandfather, age 79, is in fairly good health. Fortunately, …show more content…

Likewise, Launaigh and Lawlor state that their study indicates that “loneliness appears to be a risk factor for poor physical health (1218). Increased depression, blood pressure, poor sleep and cognitive decline have all been connected to loneliness. As a result, Launaigh and Lawlor suggest that “further research should be focused on possible interventions against loneliness”(1219). As a supporter in this research, I have witnessed that my grandparents seem to feel better physical when they are engaged in social activities and communicating with others. I feel that many other elderly would benefit from such interventions against the …show more content…

I would find volunteers of all ages: high school student, college students, and adults because the age of the volunteer would depend on the needs of each individual elderly person. For example, one person might do better with a high school than an adult companion. Regardless, each volunteer would need to commit to at least one day a week to a particular elderly person in order to establish a relationship together. Furthermore, I think it would work best if each volunteer devoted several months or more to their assigned person. It is this relationship and consistency which will help fill the void of any kind of loneliness. The volunteers could do numerous activities with their assigned elderly, such as simple conversations, going on walks or outing, playing games or anything that both people wanted to do to provide social

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