Depression in Young Women and Men - Coursework Example

Depression in Young Women and Men Name Institution Date Chapter 1 Introduction Depression is a mentalcondition or disorder that is characterized by bad or low moods, decreased self-esteem and lack of interest in fun activities. These characteristics are persistent and progressivein their development. Therefore one can conclude that depression is a disorder in a person’s moods and it may have adverse effects to the individual’s work, family, education, eating as well as their sleeping habits among others. It has also been proven that depression affects the different genders differently that is depression manifests and affects men and women differently. The topic was selected because records have revealed that the numbers of depression cases are increasing rapidly and some of the ways in which depression is manifesting itself is worrying such as suicides (Heller,1993). Relevance of the Study to the Human Species Depression is relevant to the human species because there are new symptoms that are being seen every day in all parts of the world and this is because depression itself has been evolving over the years. There are many reasons why people get depression and some of them include; psychological reasons, hereditary factors, biological factors and also social and evolutionary factors (Heller, 1993). Purpose of Studying Depression The purpose of studying depression in men and women is to understand the causes of depression in men and women and also identify the ways in which depression manifests itself in both sexes. Depression is caused by many factors and the study will help to know if the factors affect men and women differently and how they manifest themselves in men and women (Heller, 1993). How does Depression in Men and Women Relate to UAE Social Environment? Research has revealed that over 4% of the population in the United Arab Emirates has been diagnosed with clinical depression, which is another medical term for Major Depression Disorder which is double the number of depression patients in the last decade. Depression has been internationally acknowledged to be among the top killer diseases in the world and therefore with 4% of the population in the United Arab Emirates suffering from depression the topic definitely becomes something of interest to the country (D’Souza, 2012). Hypothesis of the Study A hypothesis is a theorythat is developed to attempt to explain certain scenarios or phenomena and there are theories that have been established to try and explain depression. The main reasons for depression are biological, psychological, social and also evolutionary reasons. Some of the reasons for depression have also been used a basis for the hypothesis. Biological Reasons Our bodies possess monoamines that influence our mental ability such as regulating our emotions and how we react to stressand physical characteristics such as sleep patterns, eating patterns as well as their sexual drive. These monoamines also known as neurotransmitters can be affected by medication and when they have been interfered with they are able to affect the effectiveness of the other neurotransmitters and hence cause unusual behavior which may manifest themselves in very erratic ways. The neurotransmitters that influence people’s physical and mental behavior are serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Biologists have ascertained that depression is as a result of low levels of serotonin which also leads low levels of the other two neurotransmitters also known as monoamine neurotransmitters which have led to the development of the monoamine hypothesis of depression (Bair et al., 2003). Psychological Hypothesis Depression could also be as a result of psychological factors which are manifested in the individual’s personality as well as its development. Depression caused by psychological factors is normally associated with negative emotions although some people may assert that the depression will be as a result of intense events and the individual may not react and cope well with such situations and cause the individual to be resilient. Therefore one can conclude that according to the psychological hypothesis depression is as a result of how an individual copes with adverse events in their life. Other psychiatrists ascertain that depression is caused by a string of negative thoughts possessed by an individual. These negative thoughts are negative ideas and insights about the individual, the world around him and also his or her future. Other factors that can cause depression in an individual according to the psychiatrist include repeated thoughts that were depressing in nature and also if the individual was incapable of processing information properly. These are just among the few psychological reasons for depression. Other psychological reasons that would lead to depression among the people include past experiences that traumatize the person such as rape, kidnap or child abuse among others that take time to overcome (Bair et al. 2003). Social Hypothesis The biggest social factors that cause depression among people include poverty levels and also seclusion from social activities. Lack of a social life and poverty levels have been accredited other life conditions that would result in high levels of depressions in the life of an individualinclude physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional distress or being neglected. If such traumatic experiencestake place in an individual’s life during their early ages when they are still developing as social beings they become grounds for depression in later stages of the individual’s life. These experiences affect the individual’s personality among other mental and emotional difficulties. As adults social issues that could cause depression could be as a result of social rejections or stressful life events. They can also be as a result of lack of support from loved ones while others could be depressed from social disorders such as criminal activities and intake of illegal and harmful drugssuch as marijuana or heroine among others (Bair et al. 2003). Depression can also be as a result of prejudice from oneself or from other people. Prejudice is caused by stereotypes that have prevailed in a community against members of a certain groups such as homosexuals, race and also physical handicaps among others. An individual that has prejudiced opinions on certain issues or group of persons will be depressed if he or she enters their territory and attempts to adjust to their ways of life or thinking (Bair, 2003). The Evolutionary Hypothesis In the evolutionary hypothesis researchers and scholars attribute depression to specific mechanisms that have been intentionally or unintentionally put into the human species; however psychologists will attribute evolutionary factors to genetics that is they were inherited from their ancestry lineage. Other psychiatrists will attribute depression to an evolution of their emotional ability which is evident in the perception of the individual, being very negative in character and a feeling of not being useful which can be attributed to feelings such as guilt, rejection or what the individual perceives as rejection and also a feeling of shame among others. These feelings could be as a result of marginalization which is caused by being secluded in the society(Bair, Robinson,Katonand Kroenke,2003). Methodology used in Conducting the Research The method used to gather data in the research is mainly using questionnaires. According to the questionnaire the results indicated that the sample used to fill the questionnaire was primarily men and women from the ages of 18 years to 29 years. 9 were of the ages of 18 to 20 years, 6 of them were of the ages of 21 to 23 years old, 3 people were of the ages of 24 to 26 years old. And the last group was made of 2 individuals of the ages 27 to 29 years old. The number of people used in the research was 20 with 10 of them being female and the other 10 being male. Unfortunately in the population used all of them had had cases of depression. Most of the people in the sample used suffered depression because of loss of people they were very close to but not all of them. The people they had lost ranged from parents, friends and other family members. In the research 4 had become depressed from losing their parents, 4 had lost a family member and 8 had lost their friends and they suffered from depression because of their losses. The research also revealed that some of them used drugs to help them get over their depression while others did not use drugs to overcome their depression.Of those that were using drugs 4 admitted that using the drugs helped them overcome depression while 5 people did not find the drugs useful in overcome their depression. Also revealed was that more than half of the sample population was seeing therapists through their depression while a small group of 5 were not seeing a therapist. The sample was chosen to show how depression manifested across both sexes of different ages. The questionnaire is the best tool of gathering data because it will allow the individuals to express their issues in the absence of other individuals thus providing more useful information that will be useful in the research. The questionnaire used should be able to speculate on different variables such as their preferences, behaviors and also facts among other variables. The questionnaire aimed at finding the different ages that people (men and women) could suffer from depression, what their causes of depression are, the relationship of the cause of depression with the individual, what measures they were taking to overcome depression, what their opinions are about the measures they were taking that is if the measures were productive or not. Literature Review According to Moran, 2013 in his article in the Psychiatric News ‘Do men experience depression differently from women?’ he tried to expound more on the manifestation of depression symptoms in men and women trying to establish that men manifest depression in negative physical characteristics such as irritability, anger as well as substance abuse among others more than women would. This article tries to establish that there are depression symptoms that are prevalent in men than women. According to his research and the research dome by the University of Michigan men are likely to exhibit symptoms such as withdrawals from their family and friends, substance abuse, indulgence in high risk activities, aggressive behavior, sleep disorders and feeling of being disgruntled among others. These symptoms should be studied well because they are symptoms of depression in men because traditionally men do not go out to find help when they are depressed until they manifest themselves in physical manners or characteristics. If people were to use traditional symptoms to detect depression in men they would either be underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed them completely(Moran, 2013). The research included thorough literature review to develop depression symptoms for the men and used it against a gender inclusive depression scale (GIDS) to establish the symptoms that were more prevalent in men than women included; anger, aggressive behaviors, high risk behaviorand also substance abuse. On the other hand symptoms that were more prevalent in women than men include; loss of interest in activities that they would normally enjoy, eating and sleeping disorders, irritability and also stress. Therefore they established that in depression it is likely that men would show different symptoms from women although some symptoms may be similar. New research has showed that more men are opting to commit suicide when they are depressed instead of going to the hospitals or getting help from psychiatrists or family members. However, these symptoms are prevalent in Britain than in the United Arab Emirates. What causes Depression in Men and Women? It has already been established that depression is caused by biological, social and psychological factors and also evolutionary factors. According Moran (2013), in women biological reasons that would cause them stress include; premenstrual problems due to the changes in their hormonal balance which can be manifested as fatigue, irritability, bloating and emotional imbalance. Others biological factors included; pregnancy and infertility, post pregnancy depression, menopause and also health problems. Psychological problems that could cause depression in women include; negativity, stress from school, the work place or at home and also physical appearances. Social causes of depression among women include; marital problems, family responsibilities, financial problems and the death of a loved one among others. Men suffer from depression because of issues such as genetic conditions that resulted from a history of depression in the family, activity of the brain and hormonal imbalance and also stress among others. Specific issues include; work related problems, family problems, financial strains and also health factors among others (Moran, 2013). From the various articles by other scholars and researchers it is evident that both men and women suffer from depression however, the difference is in the way depression manifests itself in the men and women and also how they both (men and women) handle the situation when they are depressed. It is also evident that women suffer from depression more than men and their symptoms are easily noticeable and treatable than men. This is attributed to the fact that most women are more social than men and are likely to discuss their problems with family, friends or their partners and thus have their issues solved faster than the men who would keep their stress to themselves until they manifest as change in their character or behavior and sometimes suicide (Moran, 2013). Data Collection and Report Writing Questionnaire Depression in the United Arab Emirates Men Date……………………………………………………………………………. Age…………………………………………………………………………….. Occupation…………………………………………………………………………….. What makes you depressed; work, family, social factors, health factors or financial factors …………………………………………………………………………………….. How do you deal with depression if yes/ if no why you are not depressed..................? ………………………………………………………………………………………….. How effective are the methods of dealing with depression that you are using………... ………………………………………………………………………………………….. Women Date……………………………………………………………………………. Age…………………………………………………………………………….. Occupation…………………………………………………………………………….. What makes you depressed; work, family, social factors, health factorsor financial factors …………………………………………………………………………………….. How do you deal with depression if yes/ if no why you are not depressed..................? ………………………………………………………………………………………….. How effective are the methods of dealing with depression that you are using………... ………………………………………………………………………………………….. Outcomes of the Research The sample is of 20 people and all of the have suffered from depression, The main cause of depression is the loss of loved ones, 16 There are people taking measures to overcome depression such as drugs and therapy, 9 drugs and 11 therapy Some methods are effective while others are not, 4 think it’s helpful while 5 don’t think it’s helpful. Cause of Depression (death of a loved one) Using Drugs to Overcome Depression Using Therapy to Overcome Depression If Method of Intervention is Useful Report on the Survey Result The survey conducted has revealed that both men women suffer from depression at various ages of their lives. Depression can be caused by many factors but the survey has identified death of a loved one as a cause of stress. The survey has not factored many issues such as how both men and women at the different ages deal with such losses. It has only identified the methods that they use to overcome depression but have not identified who uses what method and how effective it is. However, it is important to note that some issues identified in the survey have been mentioned in the literature review such as depression in both men and women and the causes of depression. Family problems such as loss of a loved one can lead an individual into depression. Conclusion Depression has been identified as a mood disorder in an individual and they affect men and women differently. The main causes of depression have been classified as biological factors, social factors, psychological factors and also evolutionary factors among others. However, the classifications can be broken down further into specific causes such as family issues, financial issues and health problems among others. The differences in how depression affects the men differently from the women are evident in the different ways the depression manifests itself in the different genders. Some symptoms are more prevalent in the men than the women and some more in the women than the men. Symptoms that are more prevalent in the men include aggressive behavior, high risk behavior, alienation and substance abuse among others. Symptoms that are more prevalent in the women than the men include; irritability, stress andlack of interest in things that would normally interest them among others. Future Recommendations According to the survey conducted on depression in men and women the issues researched on were very limited and thus did not provide adequate information to make any informed and useful decisions based on the information gathered. This is because based on the survey conducted the sample was right to accommodate equal numbers to represent both parties that is 10 men and 10 women. However, it does not focus on the main idea in the topic and that is how depression affects men and women differently. Therefore future research should be more intense and look into all aspects of the area of study. References Smith, M & Jaffe, J. (2014). Depression in Women. Retrieved on 19th May, 2014 from Heller, W. (1993). Gender differences in Depression: Perspectives from Neuropsychology. Journal of Affective Disorders, vol. 29, pp. 355-368. Moran, M. (2013). Do Men Experience Depression Differently from Women?Retrieved on 19th May, 2014 from Bair, M, J, Robinson, R, L, Katon, W and Kroenke, K. (2003). Depression and Pain Comorbidity: A Literature Review .Archives of Internal Medicine, vol. 163, no. 20, pp. 2433-2445. D’Souza, C. (2012). More than 4% of UAE Population Clinically Depressed. Retrieved on 19th May, 2014 from http://m.gulfnews.com/news/uae/health/more-than-4-of-uae-population- clinically-depressed-1.1091181 Read More

The neurotransmitters that influence people’s physical and mental behavior are serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Biologists have ascertained that depression is as a result of low levels of serotonin which also leads low levels of the other two neurotransmitters also known as monoamine neurotransmitters which have led to the development of the monoamine hypothesis of depression (Bair et al., 2003). Psychological Hypothesis Depression could also be as a result of psychological factors which are manifested in the individual’s personality as well as its development.

Depression caused by psychological factors is normally associated with negative emotions although some people may assert that the depression will be as a result of intense events and the individual may not react and cope well with such situations and cause the individual to be resilient. Therefore one can conclude that according to the psychological hypothesis depression is as a result of how an individual copes with adverse events in their life. Other psychiatrists ascertain that depression is caused by a string of negative thoughts possessed by an individual.

These negative thoughts are negative ideas and insights about the individual, the world around him and also his or her future. Other factors that can cause depression in an individual according to the psychiatrist include repeated thoughts that were depressing in nature and also if the individual was incapable of processing information properly. These are just among the few psychological reasons for depression. Other psychological reasons that would lead to depression among the people include past experiences that traumatize the person such as rape, kidnap or child abuse among others that take time to overcome (Bair et al. 2003). Social Hypothesis The biggest social factors that cause depression among people include poverty levels and also seclusion from social activities.

Lack of a social life and poverty levels have been accredited other life conditions that would result in high levels of depressions in the life of an individualinclude physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional distress or being neglected. If such traumatic experiencestake place in an individual’s life during their early ages when they are still developing as social beings they become grounds for depression in later stages of the individual’s life. These experiences affect the individual’s personality among other mental and emotional difficulties.

As adults social issues that could cause depression could be as a result of social rejections or stressful life events. They can also be as a result of lack of support from loved ones while others could be depressed from social disorders such as criminal activities and intake of illegal and harmful drugssuch as marijuana or heroine among others (Bair et al. 2003). Depression can also be as a result of prejudice from oneself or from other people. Prejudice is caused by stereotypes that have prevailed in a community against members of a certain groups such as homosexuals, race and also physical handicaps among others.

An individual that has prejudiced opinions on certain issues or group of persons will be depressed if he or she enters their territory and attempts to adjust to their ways of life or thinking (Bair, 2003). The Evolutionary Hypothesis In the evolutionary hypothesis researchers and scholars attribute depression to specific mechanisms that have been intentionally or unintentionally put into the human species; however psychologists will attribute evolutionary factors to genetics that is they were inherited from their ancestry lineage.

Other psychiatrists will attribute depression to an evolution of their emotional ability which is evident in the perception of the individual, being very negative in character and a feeling of not being useful which can be attributed to feelings such as guilt, rejection or what the individual perceives as rejection and also a feeling of shame among others.

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