Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
Major Depressive Disorder in the United States and Canada
Major Depressive Disorder is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how a person feels, thinks, and acts. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home ( Lin et al., 323). Depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include: Feeling sad, Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, Changes in appetite — weight loss or gained unrelated to dieting, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much and loss of energy or increased fatigue
Depression affects an estimated seven percent of the world’s population each year, one in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life. Depression can strike at any time, but on average, it first appears during the late teens to mid-20s. Women are more likely than men to experience depression ( Zhang et al., 50). Some studies show that one-third of women will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime. College students who can be classified as youth and teenagers are at higher risk of suffering from depression than the elderly.
There are various causes of depression in human beings; one of the factors is genetics; in some families, they may share the trait, which makes it easier for an individual to contract the illness ( Roger et al., 521). Secondly, drug and substance abuse is one of the risk factors that prompt major depressive disorder as they tend to give one false hope. Another cause of mental health problems is the background of an individual; if one was raised in an environment that was harsh, violent, neglect, and full of poverty, they are easy prey to suffer from depression. In the United States, poverty was listed as one of the most common reasons for depression in the state. Most families are worried about their source of livelihood and how their bills are to be paid
Various treatments can be offered to patients suffering from depression. They include prescription of antidepressants that will help the patient to relax and feel at ease. The medicines are given based on the degree of the mental illness of the patients with strict observation of the recommended dosage ( Raymond et al., 515). Secondly, there is seeking psychotherapy where the individual converse with an expert who assists them in finding out the reason for their depression and ways of reduces such instances. Lastly, there are mental health institutions where an individual seeks help by seeking rehabilitation in such organizations by camping there for a specified period.
Depression in the United States of America
Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States. For some individuals, major depression can result in severe impairments that interfere with or limit one’s ability to carry out major life activities. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2017 researched the number of persons affected by mental health and the results included: An estimated 17.3 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode which constitutes 7.1% of all U.S. adults ( Pillai et al., 135). The prevalence of major depressive episodes was higher among adult females (8.7%) compared to males (5.3%). The prevalence of adults with a major depressive episode was highest among individuals aged 18-25 (13.1%). The prevalence of major depressive episode was highest among adults reporting two or races (11.3%).
Major depressive disorders are the leading cause of disability for people between the ages of 15 to 44, and it affects about 6.7% of all adults. People across a wide range of different demographics can be affected by depression. Depression is a problem that can be debilitating and make it difficult for people to function in their daily lives ( Lin et al., 330). They might have trouble performing at work, school, or handling their relationships with others. People with a depressive disorder will find it hard to prevent their symptoms from interfering with important things in their life.
Major Depressive Disorder in Canada
Canada is one of the leading countries in mental disorder cases. Its first research was carried in 2000, where several people were diagnosed with mental disorder cases. The major depressive disorder was found to have 4.7 % in Canada, which was higher than in most developed countries. In Canada, it was observed that women are twice likely to be affected by depression by men (Zhang et al., 53). In 2012 another research was carried out, and it was discovered that there is an upsurge in the number of mental health patients; it was prevalent among college students the age between fifteen and twenty-five. It is essential to recognize that the people in Canada are quite aware of mental health disorders, and depression is treated as a disability in Canada.
It is noted that in both the states of Canada and the United States, women are more prone to contract major depressive disorders. Various risk factors cause women to experience mental disorders include; post-partum cases, sexual harassment cases, and societal pressure ( Roger et al., 517). College students are also at a higher risk of experiencing depression in their life. Statistics show that they undergo mental disorders in their school life, and for that reason, there has been an increase in suicidal attempts of college students.
Another similarity in Canada and the United States on major depressive disorder is that both states have created awareness on mental disorders, and more mental health care institutions have been set up to help people regain their regular mental health. Both states are cognizant of the proliferation of mental health cases in the past decade (Raymond et al., 522). Major depression disorder is a deterioration of depression, which can lead to mental insanity and death if treatment is not sought earlier.
It is prudent to note that Canada identified depression early, and it is considered a disability and is subject to benefits. For one to access the benefits treatment and diagnosis of the disease are inadequate, one has to show that the disease has caused a permanent impairment to the individual ( Pillai et al., 134). After the various credentials have been met, the individual will be given the benefits. The United States does not recognize major depressive disorder as a disability, but an illness like any other, and no preferential treatment is given to mental health patients.
Canada exhibits a higher percentage of people suffering from mental disorders than the United States. It has showcased instances of mental disorders since 2000, and every year a ten percent increase is witnessed. The United States records seven percent of its population, suffering from major depressive disorders every year ( Roger et al., 521). Canada experiences a higher rate of mental disorder patients as its population is mainly made of the female gender who is twice susceptible as compared to men to significant depression disorders.
Major depression disorders are menaces that are increasing day and day among the human population ( Zhang et al., 53). Each year there is a higher record of people who are going through depression and more cases of people seeking assistance from mental health specialists. There various causes of major depression that have been discussed in this paper; one is the genetic composition of family members. The paper has also addressed the treatments given to mental health patients and the possible ways to reduce the rate of mental disorders in individuals. The paper also compares and distinguishes depression in the United States of America and Canada.
Works cited
Lam, Raymond W., et al. “Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) 2016 clinical guidelines for the management of adults with major depressive disorder: section 1. Disease burden and principles of care.” The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 61.9 (2016): 510-523.
Lin, Liu Yi, et al. “Association between social media use and depression among U.S. young adults.” Depression and anxiety 33.4 (2016): 323-331.
McIntyre, Roger S., et al. “Cognitive deficits and functional outcomes in major depressive disorder: determinants, substrates, and treatment interventions.” Depression and anxiety 30.6 (2013): 515-527
Pillai, Aiswarya, et al. “Is there seasonality in hospitalizations for major depressive disorder in Canada?.” Archives of Clinical Psychiatry (São Paulo) 44.5 (2017): 134-136.
Zhang, Zefeng, et al. “Association between cardiovascular health metrics and depression among U.S. adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007–2014.” Annals of epidemiology 31 (2019): 49-56.