Depression In Women - Essay Example

?Major depression is the common of clinically diagnosed depression. It is one of the leading causes of disability, with heart disease topping the charts, according to the World Health Organization (Hou, 153; Vaccarino, 747). There are a number of reasons people become depressed. A loved one lost. An old woman feels alone. Depression does not just simply go away like sadness or grief. It can affect the immune system and may render the depressed individual vulnerable to other illnesses like heart ailment, indigestion, even cancer, at extreme cases. Major depression is characterized by a depressed or melancholy mood and loss of interest for all activities for at least two weeks with appetite change (causing weight change), insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue or loss of energy, feeling worthless and guilty (of nothing), diminished ability to think or concentrate and recurrent thoughts of death or dying. Depression and its effects on women have been studied and documented for many years. It has actually the most documented findings in psychiatric epidemiology. It has been consistently found across different community epidemiological studies that women have higher rates of major depression than men (Kessler, 2000, 61; Kessler, 2006, 22). The results remain the same regardless of the diagnostic schemes or research method done. Studies show that women predominantly become depressed, 1.5 to 3 times more than men (Kessler, 2000, 61). And that is a lot of women being depressed compared to just one man. But studies also indicate that the numbers can also hint that the cultural and gender differences between men and women may have an influence in the admittance of the said mood disorder. There are higher rates of women reporting depression than men over the decades when surveys are used (Kessler, 2006, 28). That may be the reason there is a higher rate of depressed women than men. However based on recent studies, this may account to the recall factor, wherein women remember more details on being depressed than men (Kessler, 2000, 63). The gender difference comes into play with the amplification of a normal depressed mood since there is no major difference when the family history, presence of comorbidity and degree of impairment (Kessler, 2000, 66). Feminist theories argue that depression in women has something to do with their position and status in the contemporary society, that the place of women in the society is something depressogenic (Kessler, 2000, 67). Women are associated more with depressing situations, such as taking care of sick loved ones. And they get more emotionally involved in things than men. Hormonal changes also evident in women can also increase their susceptibility to depression. There are a significant number of depressed patients wherein their depression started after different ailments and sickness, such as stroke, cancer or diabetes, as it renders them disabled. But the effect of depression goes the same way, the patient becomes more susceptible to illnesses and diseases. This complication is most often found in the elderly (Hou, 153). Depression can take away one’s meaning of life. And with this, the patient views life in a very disheartening manner and this can aggravate their present condition or illness. It is found that depression can lead to excessive release of hormones called adrenal corticosteroids, which compromises the immune system (Hou, 153). This can be the reason sad women are more vulnerable to cancer than happy women. Heart disease and its relation to depression have also been raised. Different studies show that an increase in depression score shows an increase in the patient’s vulnerability to stroke, more evident in women than in men (Joynt & O’Connor, 148). As depression worsens the current medical condition of the patient, this can lead to even higher rates of depressed moods and may even lead to suicide. Suicide is the leading effect of depression in women and one of the most frequent methods used by elderly women is the use of firearms. 28% of female suicides use firearms to end their depressing life (Kornstein & Wojcik, 586). Other top rating methods of female suicide are overdosing (accounts to 24% of female suicides), hanging and inhaling toxic gases (Kornstein & Wojcik, 586). Women have a higher rate of deliberately harming themselves, with a 1:1.13 to 1:3 male/female ratio though men have a higher rate of completed suicide with a male/female ratio of 4:1 (Wilhelm, 13). Although depression and suicide may be related, they are not synonymous. This means that not all depressed patients turn to suicide. Another issue related to depression is alcohol and substance abuse. Major epidemiological studies in the United States concerning depression and substance abuse show that 45% of individuals with alcohol use disorders and 72% of those with drug use disorders have at least one co-occurring psychiatric disorder (Sterk, et. al., 385). And there are more women than men who experience this because of their more emotional state. Yet one more issue related to depression that has been a major trend in epidemiological studies is the relation of depression and HIV and other infectious disease risk behavior (Sterk, et. al., 395). Women with at least one out of three psychiatric conditions (depression, generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks) are more likely to engage in HIV risk behaviors according to a 2003 nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized adults in the United States (Sterk, et. al., 395). These HIV risk behaviors are sexual risk practices such as having multiple sex partners, sex exchanging and condom use. Depression also has significant effects in women’s social relationship. The more they become depressed, the lesser emotional support they gain from their partners, though the more they gain support from their friends (Hammen, 78). Depressed women develop strained relationships not only with their partners but also their family members and friends as they feel more and more alone, depressed and worthless. Since they feel negative emotions, they also exude these negative emotions which impact their relationship with other people. They become more isolated because of these negative emotions which further their decline towards lifetime depression. With the said effects of depression in women, it has become a major social concern. But despite its recognition as a public health problem, there is yet another problem and that is dealing with the said mood disorder. There is a high rate of misdiagnosis in depression in women, around 30% to 50% of the time (Sterk, et. al., 399). And less than half of these women would ever seek medical or health care. The burden of depression in women and the society is becoming more and more of a concern, and that’s the direction that the medical and health care prevention and treatment should be looking at. Works Cited Hammen, C. "Interpersonal vulnerability and depression in young women." eds. Joiner, T., et. al. The Interpersonal, cognitive and social nature of depression. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., 2006. Hou, J. Ph. D. Healthy Longetivity Techniques. IN: Authorhouse, 2010. Joynt, K. & O'Connor, C. "Prognostic implications of depression in ischemic syndromes." eds. Barsness, G. & Holmes, D. Coronary artery disease: New approaches without traditional revascularization. NY: Springer-Verlag London Limited, 2012. Kessler, R. Ph. D. "Gender difference in major depression: epidemiological findings." ed. Frank, E. Ph. D. Gender and its effects on psychopathology. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc., 2000. Kessler, R. "The epidemiology of depression among women." ed. Keyes, C. & Goodman, S. Women and depression: A handbook for the social, behavioral and biomedical sciences. NY: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Kornstein, S. & Wojcik, B. "Depression." eds. Kornstein, S. & Clayton, A. Women's mental health: a comprehensive textbook. NY: The Guilford Press, 2002. Sterk, C. et. al. "Public health approach to depression and women." ed. Keyes, C. & Goodman, S. Women and depression: A handbook for the social, behavioral and biomedical sciences. NY: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Vaccarino, V. "Depression and heart disease." eds. Wenger, N. & Collins, P. Women and Heart Disease, 2nd ed. FL: Taylor & Francis, 2005. Wilhelm, K. "Depression: From nosology to global burden." ed. Keyes, C. & Goodman, S. 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