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Essay about mental health problems in young adults
Essay about mental health problems in young adults
Effects of depression on the elderly
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Both younger adults and older adults are susceptible to mental health issues such as depression. Depression is a mood disorder that is characterized with changes in feelings and thoughts such as sadness and worthless. There are several risk factors that can contribute to depression including stressful events such as death of a friend or partner and chronic illness (WWK p.256). Although the prevalence of depression is lower in older adults, many older adults report symptoms of depression that are different than younger adult symptoms. For example, young adults may feel guilty and have suicidal thoughts while older adults may experience physical symptoms such as pain (WWK p.255). Differences in symptoms of depression in both groups and
Depression was once believed to affect mainly adults for various reasons. It was hardly ever seen in minors or college students. Today depression is more common in younger populations mainly college students. There are many things that can trigger depression in college students, such as the environment, anxiety, and the fear of failure. All these things can contribute to depression in college students and sometimes cannot be seen. Many college students will never seek help, and many wont ever admit that they struggle with it.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2013) Report revealed that the World Health Organization describes the inequities and disparities within a community as social determinants. These social determinants include age, sex, birth place, where one lives, works, plays, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and has a healthcare system. McKibbin and Deacon (2011) revealed it is estimated that 20% of older adults suffer from a mental health disorder. Patients with a chronic illness such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, geriatric depression, chronic pain issues, cancer, and diabetes account for trillions of dollars spent on medical care in the United States. As the population ages the costs will expand, the shortage of physicians and nurses will continue to decrease and the scope of this problem will increase thus the need for new innovative ideas and plans to care for the geriatric population including those in the rural regions. One potential solution for geriatric depression ...
After a long day at work, I collect my thoughts and review the previous events of the day. An event that clearly stands out in my mind is a conversation I had with an elderly resident at my work. Over the past two years, I have worked at a retirement home called Grand Wood Park as a dietary aide, where it is my job to serve the residents their meals. When I was at work, one of the residents mentioned something to me I had never considered prior to our conversation. She said she feels as though no one cares about her anymore. Her family members do not come and visit her, they have ageist ideas, misconceptions, and often undermine her mental capabilities. I tried my best to reassure her, but I knew this was not enough since my reassurance would
It is known that depression is a growing issue, but the question is why it is continuing to affect more and more people, specifically students. It is difficult to pinpoint a specific cause when there are so many theories as to what exactly causes depression. Some argue that it is genetic while others say it is a result of too much stress. This is not to say that there is only one cause of depression, but there has to be a reason why the number of depressed students has been increasing in the recent years.
Do you ever feel down and out? Fill yourself loosing interest in thing you used to love? Then you might have depression. Depression is a period of time in which you feel sad. I know you are saying to yourself you are just a little down, but depression is a serious medical condition in which a person feels very sad, hopeless, and unimportant and often unable to live in a normal way. There are multiple types of depression, that effects your mental state in various ways.
Mavandadi, S., Ten Have, T. R., Katz, I. R., Durai, U. B., Krahn, D. D., Llorente, M. D., & ... Oslin, D. W. (2007). Effect of Depression Treatment on Depressive Symptoms in Older Adulthood: The Moderating Role of Pain. Journal Of The American Geriatrics Society, 55(2), 202-211. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01042.x
Major Depressive Disorder, according to Coon, is a mood disorder in which the person has suffered one or more intense episodes of depression. Major Depressive Disorder falls under mood disorders subtopic depressive disorders (Coon 2013). “Psychologist have come to realize that mood disorders (major disturbances in emotion) are among the most serious of all psychological conditions. In any given year, roughly 9.5 percent of the U.S. population suffers from a mood disorder (National Institute of Mental Health, 2011a)” (Coon 2013). I was one of the 9.5 percent. I have decided to write on this topic because I want to understand what causes it. I have been depressed before without medication or counseling and I wanted to know why do you get depressed and how does it impact you. This essay will talk about disorder information, disorder triggers, research on depression, treatment for depression, and theorist’s experiments for Major Depression Disorder.
Late life depression affects about 7 million Americans 65 and older, but only 10 percent seek out and receive treatment (Depression in the Elderly: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments). Depression symptoms are different for every individual and sometimes the elderly can confuse mental illness to be side effects of medications they are currently taking. Medications such as steroids, benzodiazepines, and beta blockers may cause symptoms of depression. Also end of life changes such as loss of independence, being alone, and grief from a loss of a spouse are commonly linked to depression of the elderly. As individuals grow in age, neurotransmitters associated with well-being and happiness such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine begins to diminish (Elderly Depression: Depression and
Older adults are a very knowledgeable population and have had a lot of life experiences. As people age, things start to change physically, mentally, and socially. It’s important to understand the process of aging, so that older adults can be taken care of properly. I interviewed P.R. who is a 71-year-old male that lives alone in his home. P.R. is a retired coal miner, and is currently living off his social security and savings. He lives close to both his daughter and son, who frequently help him out with things that are needed. P.R. was able to give me a lot of insight about specific challenges that he has experienced in his life that is associated with aging. I will be discussing challenges that P.R experienced physically, mentally,
Depression is defined as "a state of despondency marked by feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness" (Coon, 2001). Some people can mix up depression with just having the blues because of a couple of bad days or even weeks. It is already said that depression affects about one sixth of the population or more (Doris, Ebmeier, Shajahan, 1999). Depression can happen in any age range from birth to death. The cause of depression is still obscure and becoming clear that a number of diverse factors are likely to be implicated, both genetic and environmental. Some causes are leading stressful lives, genetic factors, a previous depressive episode, and the personality trait neuroticism (Doris, et al., 1999).
Suicide is a very tragic life event for the victim, victim’s friends and family members and to society as a whole. We often hear about suicide deaths that occur in younger and middle-aged adults in the media but rarely is such attention given to elderly suicide (65 and older). In the United States there is a higher rate of suicide amongst the elderly than in any other part of the population. There are many factors to this problem, however depression among the elderly was recorded as the major contributing factor that lead them to suicide. Every elderly that committed suicide was reported to have been depressed. Understanding the contributing factors that lead to depression amongst the elderly might shed light on the issue. Many studies have shown that depression coupled with risk factors increase tendency of suicide ideation among the elderly. Risk factors such as chronic illness, pain, physical and mental disabilities, isolation, loneliness, role change (retirement), lack of financial security and social support, bereavement, alcohol abuse, hopelessness and dependability have been pointed out as major contributing factors for the high number of depression experienced by the elderly. Society has identified depression and suicides among the elderly are a social problem, but little have been done to educate the public.
Focus Question 3: How does depression affect the community or society surrounding the sufferers? As depression is a very common disorder, it clearly has a major impact on not only the patients, but on their families and social community. Patients who are depressed, typically become more withdrawn, they do not want to go out, they find it hard to make decisions, and on some occasions, they become more empathetic to others. These factors have a detrimental effect on their families and others around them.
Depressants have been around for centuries and have been portrayed in many cultures as far back as 3400 BC. Herbs and alcohol are known to ease down pain and induce sleep; they were the most common depressants. Depressants are drugs that reduce neural activity and slow down body functions, in order to decrease or alleviate anxiety, induce sleep and relieve stress (Depressants). Alcohol being one of the most popular agents, it produces depression in the central nervous system. Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines are the two groups of depressants. These two groups have taken over the market legally and illegally for a very long time. Paraldehyde and Chloral Hydrate are two old pharmaceutical depressants that are also referred as sedatives, downers, anti-anxiety, minor tranquilizers, hypnotics, and anxiolytics medications("Home." ). Opium, which comes from poppy plants, has been used for hundreds of years. This is used as a legitimate depressant drug, after this in 1806 morphine evolved.
The sociology of mental illness is an extensive topic, one in which various complex, diverse, and intellectual theories interrelate. However, Annette Lane focuses upon the issues associated with older adults who are suffering from a mental illness. Furthermore, these issues are related directly to the process these adults go through when they need to be transferred from a hospitals mental health unit, into a nursing home or assisted living facility (Lane 2010:1). Lane believes that the stigma associated with mentally ill older adults, alters the way many workers within these institutions decide on whom to accept into their facilities. Rather than these employees being open minded, and accepting of older adults with mental illnesses, Lane informs
The silent killer that takes lives without warning, punishment, or any sympathy; depression is truly one of the most prominent mental illnesses in the world. Depression is defined as a mental illness inducing a severe and staunch feeling of sadness. The term depressed is coined in English as a temporary sadness that everyone experiences in their life. Despite that depression is more active in women, it is still one of the most common mental illnesses in the world. It affects anybody, regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic standing. Regardless of all these facts, surprisingly little is known about depression, however, scientists have been able to hypothesize major causes, effects, and treatments for the disability affecting over