Many people are affected by depression. When someone is depressed, they are not the only ones being affected by it. Their family, friends, grades at school, and work efficiency may suffer. "Major depression is one of the 15 leading causes of disability in developed countries and is expected to become the second leading cause of disability worldwide by the year 2020." (Räty, Ikonen & Honkalampi, 2006)
The fact that "depression is expected to become the second leading cause of disability worldwide by the year 2020" (Räty, Ikonen & Honkalampi, 2006) is very disturbing to me. I have known many people with depression in my lifetime (diagnosed or not,) and it is very upsetting to see how much it affects their everyday life. Some people may have just minor depression, not always noticing it, and not being affected by it in their daily lives. Other people, however, may have chronic depression and, quite literally, won't even be able to get out of bed in the morning. Imagine living with a disease like that. Depression can be a mental and/or physical disability. If a person hasn't actually been diagnosed with depression, they could have this issue helped out by going to the doctor and actually being diagnosed. Although medicine may not cure them completely, it could help quite a bit.
According to this article "medical morbidity, functional limitations, loneliness, and social isolation have been identified as risk factors for the onset and deterioration of depression in older adults." This quote makes me wonder what the risk factors for the onset of depression in young adults or even children are. It seems as though older people are more isolated in their everyday lives than younger people are. Children go to school everyday, therefore receiving the socialization they need. Children also live with their parent(s) and possibly sibling(s), meaning they also get socialization and love when they return home from school. In the case of elders, however, many of them live alone. Young adults may go to university, again, getting the socialization in their everyday lives no problem. Young adults may also go out to parties, the bar, or just for coffee with their friends once in a while. Some older people may not have the option to go out for coffee or to visit people due to chronic pain or other reasons.
People say depression is a chemical imbalance. This may be so, but wouldn't the world be great if depression could be prevented or at least completely cured? I have seen too many people suffer from depression, and have heard of too many people committing suicide because they just couldn't handle the pain anymore. It would be a very happy day if depression was ever cured.
- Amanda P.
Citations:
Räty, H., Ikonen, S., & Honkalampi, K. (2006).Common-Sense Descriptions of Depression as Social Representations. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 52(3), 243-255. Retrieved from http://isp.sagepub.com.proxy2.lib.umanitoba.ca/content/52/3/243.full.pdf+html
Choi, N., Teeters, M., Perez, L., Farar, B., & Thompson, D. (2009). Severity and correlates of depressive symptoms among recipients of Meals on Wheels: Age, gender, and racial/ethnic difference. Aging & Mental Health, 14(2), 145-154. Retrieved from http://pdfserve.informaworld.com.proxy2.lib.umanitoba.ca/157131_770885140_917180029.pdf
Nice post. Your post encouraged me to think about how a yong person feels when they feel depressed. A young man in my community committed suicide this weekend. On the outside he seemed very happy with his life and where it was headed. Sometimes it seems that young people suddenly just "snap" on the inside and even though you think they are happy and are enjoying life, deep down they may not be. Many older people envy the young people, their active lifestyle,and socializing. But deep down both individuals may be facing the same depression and same struggles. It makes me wonder how well we really know or think we know some individuals.
ReplyDeleteDana W
I agree. Many people seem so happy on the outside, but on the inside they are fighting a secret battle. It is sad that many people don't go to the doctor to get the help that they need, or that the doctor can't even help them.
ReplyDelete-Amanda P.
This post really got me thinking about differences between the depression amongst older adults and the young. In my opinion the depressed youth are more likely to think about negative thoughts like suicide than older adults. I'm not sure if it's proven or not. Also, I think it has a lot to do with socialization. Older adults have had more time to develop individuality and independence so I think that for a teenager being alone is usually tougher to handle than an older persons. Aside from that depression is experienced amongst all age group and it is a serious issue because it can result to many other problems.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice if depression was cured but I'm not so sure that it ever will be because there are so many problems in this world that are too much to handle for many people. But, it's very reassuring that there are ways to prevent it.
- Kristal
Depression is such a severe thing that many people have to deal with. I don't believe that it is just a chemical balance issue but also it may be because of the way some people choose to live their lives. For example...A person who stays in their house alone for their whole lives probably has a form of depression. I think how you live can play a role in depression. I love that science has come up with anti depressants and i think any person dealing with depression should definitely try to get a prescription.Really good post! -Brittany L
ReplyDeleteAmanda this a complex issue so thank you for addressing it in the context of people with disabilities. This blog got me thinking about the variation of ages of people experiencing depression. Often, when I think of people suffering from depression I only think of people in my own age category. I liked that you brought up the fact that older adults don't necessarily have the luxury of socializing with people in every day to day situations that some of us take for granted. I know I even get excited after being isolated from people for long periods of time, so much that simple things like socializing with people while getting groceries is refreshing. I can see how deficits in physical ability can indirectly cause mental deficits as well, and further lead to feelings of hopelessness.
ReplyDelete-Brooke D.