DEPRESSION IN WOMAN
Depression is the most common mood disorder; it is more than just temporary feelings of sadness. Then how come women are more prone to depression than men? Depression affects women emotionally, physically, and mentally in every aspect of their lives. Clinical depression does not only just cause suffering to individuals who are depressed, but it brings problems for their families and friends who seldom do not know how to help them. Experts say depression is a disorder that is colour blind and affects women in spite of race, ethnic backgrounds, or socio-economic standing. Women are said to be two to three times more prone than men to suffer from depression. Why is this the case? Is it because of the stress caused by society’s expectations of women? The following essay will provide a brief overview explaining why women are more prone to depression than men.
There are emotional risk factors that make women especially are vulnerable from. Women who are unhappily married, divorced, or separated, have higher risks. They tend to undergo more stress, anger, frustration, and cause problems among her family. Nobody is predetermined to develop a mood disorder. Nevertheless, women who tend to be under more stress than normal and often have to handle a variety of conflicting roles in society may be susceptible to depression. Women who are biologically vulnerable to depression are more likely to develop the disease when they’re under chronic stress.
Depression can cause mothers to be inconsistent with the way they care for their children. They may be loving one minute and withdrawn the next. They may not respond at all to their children’s behaviour or they may respond in a negative way. Babies who do not develop a secure attachment may have trouble interacting with their mother (they may not want to be with their mother, or may be upset when with them), causing them to develop skills later than other babies. Toddlers and preschoolers whose mothers are depressed may be less independent, less likely to interact with other people, have more trouble accepting discipline, be more aggressive and destructive or not do as well in school. School-age children may have behavioural problems, have learning difficulties, have a higher risk of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and not do as well in school. Adolescents whose mothers suffer from depression...
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be a target to get this depression if they had significant others who would be expected mothers or
Depression is a mental health disease, which sometimes goes undetected for many months or years in patients. There is not a certain characteristic the one has that says whether or not they will be affected by depression. Depression is like a rain cloud constantly hovering one or like a big black blanket that one cannot pull off of them. (Leung, LaChapelle, Scinta, & Olvera, 2014) states in a study it was report that “Mexican Americans were more likely than any other racial group to have a persistently high depressive symptoms trajectory. The study also found that Mexican American women had higher rates of depression than the men in this group. Depression is defined as a feeling of hopelessness.” Depression can be treated with medications like anti-depressants or Beta-Blockers. In some patients the mental illness never dissipates even with the help of
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
Depression is one of the most common conditions encountered in medical practice in fact 16% of the U.S population is diagnosed with a depression mood, at heist risks are adolescents with 20%. However it is less common in children, but when it happens it determines the long-terms psychological health of the child. Women have twice the risk as men for developing depression because puberty is a particular high-risk period for females. More then 70% of people with unipolar depression have another disorder such as: substance abuse, anxiety disorder or eating disorder.
“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 mental health condition which is widely recognised as one of the most common conditions for which people seek and receive care. There are many specific nursing problems which are encompassed by the medical term “depression” and these include physical, cognitive and behavioural patterns. Successful treatments of depression are psychosocial interventions which aim to identify and challenge a depressed persons pessimistic attitudes and beliefs and which promote an individuals’ participation in rewarding activities in an attempt to reduce any negative behaviours. The aim of this essay is to identify specific nursing problems which are encompassed by the term “depression” and relate these to a patient whom the author had met whilst out on clinical placement who had been given a medical diagnosis of depression. It is also the aim of this essay to discuss different psychosocial interventions and how effective these are in assisting a patient in their road to recovery.
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.
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.
Current research has demonstrated that females, on average, have a larger deep limbic system than males. Due to the larger limbic brain, woman are more in touch with their feelings, they are generally better to express their feelings than men (“Male-Female Brain Differences”). Women are the primary care takers for children because of their strong ability to be connected and bond well with others. Containing a larger limbic system also leaves a female more likely to become depressed. As stated in “Male-Female Difference”, women attempt suicide three times more than men, but men actually succeed three times more than women. This h...
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...
Childhood depression has only been recognized as a real clinical problem for about twenty-two years. Before that time, children that exhibited signs that are now recognized as depression were thought to be behavioral problems that the child would grow out of. Psychiatrists believed that children were too emotionally and cognitively immature to suffer from true depression. Childhood was thought to be a carefree, happy time, void of worry and concerns and therefore it was thought that their problems were not serious enough to merit depression. Traumas such as divorce, incest and abuse were not clearly understood how they could effect children in the long range. Childhood depression differs in many aspects from adult depression and widely went unrecognized academic performance, withdrawal and rejection of friends and favorite activities. Some exhibit hyperactivity, while others complain of fatigue and illness often. Many times these symptoms are thought to ‘be just a phase’ in their children, and overlooked as signs of depression.
Kaplan, P. S., Bachorowski, J., Smoski, M. J., & Hudenko, W. J. (2002). Infants of depressed mothers, although competent learners, fail to learn in response to their own mothers' infant-directed speech. Psychological Science, 13(3), 268-271.
In turn, these expectations lead to men and women handling stress and negative situations differently, and the development of mental illness typically stems from there, with some genders being more prone to certain disorders than the other (“Gender and women’s health”). For example, common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are predominated by women, and are possibly brought on by socioeconomic disadvantage, income inequality, or a subordinate social rank. In comparison, males are more likely to be diagnosed with alcohol dependence and antisocial personality disorder, possibly due to pressure of being the prime provider for the family, or the expectation of internalizing any negative thoughts or emotions. However, not only are gender roles detrimental to mental health, they also have a negative effect on its diagnosis and treatment of men and women, further promoting the inequities. Gender bias has shown to be a strong factor in the treatment of psychological illnesses, and can often result in misdiagnoses. For example, according to the World Health Organization, even if both patients present identical symptoms, doctors are more likely to diagnose depression in a woman than a man (“Gender disparities in
Many people feel apprehensive and miserable every now and then, but when does it take over their whole lives? Losing a loved one, doing poorly in school or work, being bullied and other hardships might lead a person to feel sad, lonely, scared, nervous and/or anxious. Some people experience this on an everyday basis, sometimes even or no reason at all. Those people might have an anxiety disorder, depression, or both. It is highly likely for someone with an anxiety disorder to also be suffering from depression, or the other way around. 50% of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
Mental wellbeing is a key component of complete health and wellness that is usually overlooked by individuals of all ages. The WHO defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’ From the definition, to achieve a state of perfect health, mental wellbeing has to be put into consideration.