Writing in Psychology
Depression and Positive Psychology
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the world today due to its severe behavioral changes in human beings. A depressed individual might show some abnormal responses to situations or instances, which include some depressed moods, showing less or no interest and pleasure, having low self-esteem, reduced energy, and unusual feelings of guiltiness. They can also show some signs of loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, low energy levels, as well as an unreasonable loss of concentration. On the other hand, positive psychology aims at creating constructive-based positive emotions, which helps individuals in finding the meaning of their day-to-day lives; thus, promoting general mental health. Roots of positive psychology towards depression are based on self-efficacy, hope, and optimism. Self-efficacy is the qualities that make individuals believe they have strong self-control and skills that help achieve life ambitions. They are achieved through the mode of thinking, influenced by past successes, believing that one has all it takes to succeed, learning from people with notable high self-efficacy levels, persuasion by trustworthy parties, and an individual’s ability to control negative thoughts. This section seeks to discuss the causes, effects, and facts about depression as a controversial subject in psychology narrative. Discussing ethical approaches towards the menace of depression, especially in terms of positive psychology, will also be an essential aspect of this report.
Most of the reported cases of depression occur as a result of the advancements of day-to-day life actions. These life situations can range from losing a loved one, relationships, possessions, or health status. However, it can also be witnessed without any apparent cause. If the situation is not attended professionally, they can result in significant impairments of an individual’s position and ability to attend to all their daily responsibilities effectively. According to the World Health Organization (2017), all mood disorders are curable, only if the right mode of treatment approaches is employed and, in several cases, they are embraced to treat depression’s debilitating effects. If the debilitating impact of depressions is left unattended for a long duration, they result in unnecessary mental uneasiness that alters individual’s responses on their daily responsibilities. Although, in recent years, there has been significant medical research intervention of depression and other psychiatric disorders, genetics information, functional imagining, and neuroendocrine, a concrete diagnostic procedure is yet to be established.
Depression is a vital catalyst for mobility, especially in cases where the victim is physically unwell. Thus, people with some physical impairments are more prone to being depressed, according to a case study carried out in the hospitals in New York, 10% to 20% outpatients and inpatient tested positive in depressive diseases. The same percentage rates were recorded on patients who suffered chronic physical disorders. Researches carried out on individuals with other disorders indicated that they demonstrated great depression’s prevalence. The other complications that embraced the prevalence of depression included diabetic people with 11%, cancer patients with 15%, individuals with Parkinson disease with 20%, and myocardial following patients with 17%. The most common effects of depression include reduced treatment adherence, increased disability, and unreliable prognosis (Marcus, et al., 2012). Depression can also increase the chances of developing some other several physical diseases. The relationship between mortality and depression over the years has been discussed across several diagnostically mixed categories on physically impaired victims with heart failure, renal disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer, following infraction, diabetes, or stroke. For instance, a study conducted in the Netherlands on individuals ranging from 18-64 years with a long-time depression disorder also indicated the prevalence of anxiety disorder. Depression also proved to be closely related to chronic somatic illness. In the same study, 50-80% of outpatients with major depression, subthreshold depression, or dysthymic depression also were diagnosed with chronic bodily condition.
Thus, it would be substantial to base a claim that somatically ill individuals are severely prone to suffering from depression. An example of such a survey carried on vast-ranging health on the Canadian population indicated that 9% of individuals with single or more long-term medical disorders suffered depression every year. On the other hand, people with chronic conditions stood at 4%, denoting, it was almost half of the reported cases on long-term physical disorders (Hodes, et al., 2015). Some other significant factors that were associated with the prevalence of depression included head injuries, schizophrenia, drug abuse, multiple sclerosis as well as migraine. Additionally, the latest researches showed that genetic factors significantly contribute to a risk factor precipitating depression and mental elapses. Depression is most occasions comes as a result of psychological, genetic, and biological factors. Additionally, some other significant risk factors range from pregnancy, perimenopause, childbirth, menstruation period, and hormonal factors. Lowered tolerance to stress, alcohol, and other substance use, families with a depression history, social factors, difficult chronic medical situations, poverty, and insomnia were also highly associated with depression.
References
Hodes, G. E., Kana, V., Menard, C., Merad, M., & Russo, S. J. (2015). Neuroimmune mechanisms of depression. Nature neuroscience, 18(10), 1386.
Marcus, M., Yasamy, T., van Ommeren, M., Chisholm, D., & Saxena, S. (2012). Depression, a global public health concern. Paper developed by WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Depression: A Global Crisis.
World Health Organization. (2017). Depression and other common mental disorders: global health estimates (No. WHO/MSD/MER/2017.2). World Health Organization.