Depression is a word that is commonly used but how much do you know about it? Study shows that every person at some time experiences depression. Let’s dig in and find out more.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this topic, you are expected to,
- Understand the meaning of depression
- Understand the factors that promote depression
- Understand the measures of depression
Depression refers to a state of low mood and aversion to activity. It can affect the thoughts of a person, behavior, feelings, sense of wellbeing and motivation. It can feature sadness, difficulty in concentration and thinking and a significant increase or decrease in appetite and the amount of time spent sleeping. People that experience depression may have feelings of hopelessness, dejection and sometimes suicidal thoughts. It can be either short term or long term.
The core symptom of depression is anhedonia. This refers to the loss of interest or the loss of feeling of pleasure in certain activities that normally bring joy to people. Depressed mood is a symptom of some mood disorders like dysthymia or major depressive disorder. It is a normal temporary reaction to life events like the loss of a loved one, and it is also a symptom of some physical diseases and a side effect of medical treatments and some drugs.
FACTORS THAT PROMOTE DEPRESSION
- Life events. In childhood, events like sexual abuse, physical abuse, mental abuse, bereavement, neglect, unequal parental treatment and abandonment by parents can lead to depression in adulthood. Life events and changes capable of causing depression include but not limited to; childbirth, menopause, stress, unemployment, family, education and living conditions. Medical diagnosis, loss of a loved one are also major influencers of depression.
- Personality. Changes in the social environment of a person or in personality can affect depression levels. Personality indicators include temporary but rapid mood changes, loss of interest in activities that used to be part of one’s life, disruption of sleep, withdrawal from previous social life, difficulty concentrating and short term hopelessness.
- Medical treatments. Depression can also result from healthcare like with medication-induced depression. Therapies that are associated with depression include contraceptives, anti-migraine drugs, hormonal agents, interferon therapy and anticonvulsants.
- Substance-induced. Several drugs of abuse may result in or exacerbate depression, whether in withdrawal, intoxication and from chronic use. These include sedatives, alcohol, opioids, stimulants, inhalants, and hallucinogens.
- Historical legacy. Researchers have begun to conceptualize ways in which the historical legacies of colonialism and racism may create depressive conditions.
MEASURES
Measures of depression as an emotional disorder include, but not limited to; the 9 item depression scale in the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory-11. Both of these measures are psychological tests that ask personal questions of the participant and have been used mostly to measure the severity of depression.
CONNECTIONS
- Alcoholism. Alcohol can be a depressant that slows down regions of the brain like the temporal cortex, negatively affecting memory and rationality.
- Bullying. Social abuse like bullying is defined as actions of singling out and causing harm to vulnerable individuals.
