Depression In America

According to Dr. Douglas Kenrick, University of Arizona’s Social Psychology lecturer, Facebook is not bad but the usage of it is what paints an ugly picture. In the article above, emotional aspects seem to be most affected when one uses Facebook in comparing oneself with their peers, friends or relatives. Posts by the defined group outline the seven ways mentioned which are termed bad since it leads to mental health dysfunctions. The use of Facebook to follow others updates leads to a number of psychological hazards such as; gives one a feeling that their life is not neat as of others, one develops envy towards friends achievements, Facebook keeps touch with people who hurt before, it can disenfranchise marriage in the event of stalking. The emotional friction developed through the wrong use often leads to depression. If one can avoid using Facebook in a manner that they will not follow other people’s posts then they are less likely to get stressed up about others and to a great extent avoid mental complications such as depression. According to the study about 80% percent who use Facebook in following others updates with a lot of

The soldier’s hands shake, his eyes dart around the room, sweat is dripping down his brow. Suddenly there is a screech of tires and yelling. He raises his gun and shoves the muzzle of the gun against the head of his target. BANG! The police officer kicks down the door, seeing the veteran holding a gun against his own head. He lowers his arm, takes the weapon, and escorts the veteran home. Unfortunately, situations like this happen often but many don’t end as happily. Most people believe veteran depression, comes from trauma suffered in combat, but in actuality the majority of veterans experience feelings of being out of place and lost after the war which can lead to suicide. The only way they know how to live is in an environment of

Approximately 14.8 million American adults are experiencing a variety of symptoms that make daily routines problematic and debilitating (DBSA 2005). Depression can manifest itself differently in every individual, but frequent symptoms within depressed populations are: dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits, a sense of hopelessness, an increase in negative thoughts, impulsivity, irritability, anger, forgetfulness, and the inability to concentrate (Project Helping). The causes of depression are also very particular to the individual that experiences it; many students however, can attribute their depression to certain stressors such as inadequate social adaptation, inadequate sleeping habits, demanding academic standards, and the overall

Previous research examined the potential relationship between social comparison, envy, and depression. Appel, Crusius, and Gerlach (2015) utilized a sample of about 130 participants that were divided into two experimental groups of depressed and non-depressed to analyze profiles that were on Facebook. The researchers found that high levels of envy, when the social comparison level is high, could result in depressive symptoms. In the case of Facebook, there is a concept called Facebook Envy. Envy that comes out of gathering information about others on Facebook (Chou & Edge, 2012). Tandoc, Ferrucci, and Duffy (2015) report that Facebook envy has some influence on depression. A person that uses Facebook more may experience higher levels of envy

There is no definite root cause for neither anxiety nor depression. Psychologists have researched causes and scenarios that make a person more prone to being depressed or anxious, however a single, definite cause has yet to be discovered. Often serious medical illnesses (such as a brain tumor and other cancers), major life changes (such as a big move or a death of a loved one), medicine, physical/ sexual/ emotional abuse, conflict with family and friends, major events, personal problems (such as social isolation from friends and family), and substance abuse increase the chances of depression (The Depression). Recently, it has been discovered that genetics plays a very small role in depression as well: there are certain genes that could possibly make a person more prone to depression and other psychological diseases. Despite the social effects, there are many physical effects of both depression and anxiety. See figures 1.1 and 1.2. Figure 1.1 is a positron electron tomography scan that shows the difference between the brain activity of a depressed patient and that of a non-depressed patient. The level of brain activity in

It is estimated that 121 million people in the world are diagnosed with depression each year, and this doesn’t count those who live with depression and never reach out for medical help. The United States ranked as number one most depressed country in the world, with a reported 9.6% of our population suffering from depression. In 2013, 41,149 americans died from suicide, making suicide the tenth leading cause of death. One in ten americans report having depression, and the numbers are rising by a jaw dropping 20% each year.

Depression is the commonest psychiatric diagnoses in patients attending psychiatric clinics, psychiatric outpatient departments or mental health facilities. The lifetime prevalence of unipolar depression is about 15 percent in males and 25 percent in females in the first world countries with similar prevalance in the developing countries. According to the WHO, about one in four consultations to health care providers is depression related. The twelve month prevalence in the US is about 7 percent with maximum prevalence in the 18-29 year old individuals with females having a 1.5 to 3 fold higher rate than males (23)

Depression is a rising epidemic that needs to be handled quickly. “In 2016, an estimated 10.3 million U.S. adults aged 18 or older had at least one major depression episode with severe impairment. This number represented 4.3% of all U.S. adults(“Major Depressive Episode with impairment” pg 1). This is a really high percentage and for all we know it will increase more and more over the years. Continue on if you want to know how to help with depression victims.

I have Manic Depression. This is not a pity party, this is reality. With that comes an abundance of baggage and difficulties. Often, I am asked what this really is, and how it truly effects me. Life can sometimes feel as if a lead blanket is on top of me, weighing me down and preventing me from even moving. The chemical balance in my brain feels like a father yelling at his child to do something, and my body simply responds with apathy, a yawn towards the world’s responsibilities.

Although depression is not selective when it comes to culture, geography or even economic status, certain groups are at a higher risk than others. Research has shown that lifetime prevalence estimates are generally higher in high income vs low-middle income countries (Kessler & Bromet, 2013). A survey from seventeen different countries revealed that one in twenty adults experience a depressive episode, at least once annually, and in the United States alone, 15.4% of adults eighteen years of age and older, had at least one major depressive episode in 2014 (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). Unfortunately, the prevalence is on the rise; between 2005 and 2010, the rates in the U.S. increased from 13.8 million to 15.4 million (Greenberg, Fournier, Sisitsky, Pike, & Kessler, 2015) with the incidence twice as likely in women than in men (Kessler et. al, 2013). There are no certainties with regards to whom depression will affect, but there certainly are commonalities surrounding the physical toll it can take.

In Western society, depression is defined as a downcast mood or a loss of pleasure in previously interesting activities. In Japan, however, depression is understood as a mental disorder and often fatal state of sorrow. People in China describe depression as physical pain, while American Indians describe it as an overwhelming loneliness. Every culture defines depression distinctly based on their different societal issues, specific health care systems, and history. Depression is perceived distinctly among different cultures based on the societal issues each culture faces, the structure of specific health care systems, and the succumbing to cultural imperialism.

Did you know in 2009 approximately 18.8 million (9.5%) of American adults 18 and older were diagnosed with having depression; 12.4 million (12.0%) are women and 6.4 million (6.6%) are men. Depression and some antidepressants are going to be the main focus of this paper.

A matter of contention prevalent within the media, several studies have shown that social networking – Facebook in particular – can have detrimental effects on our wellbeing. Researchers from the University of Michigan assessed Facebook usage over a fortnight and found that the more people that used it, the more negativity they experienced concerning their day-to-day activities; as well as over time, incurring higher levels of dissatisfaction with their life overall.

Depression is another psychological toll that has been placed on young adults as an outcome of social media use. In fact “over a third (34%) of young people have felt depressed because of something they have seen on a social network site” [6]. Young people experience depression while looking at their peers’ social media profiles because of “the link between social networking and depression [which] is called the ‘social comparison’ theory” [5]. The social comparison theory asserts that individuals evaluate themselves by comparing themselves to their peers, using their peers as a benchmark to evaluate their own self worth [1]. These comparisons can be misleading when young adults look at their peers’ social networking profiles. One person may have 50 Facebook friends whom they personally know while their peer may have over 1,000 Facebook friends whom they randomly accept and request. When using the social comparison theory the peer with

There are many negative effects of social media that are affecting our society psychologically such as anxiety disorders. Dana Duong is the producer of the website Anxiety.org as well as the data analyst. Duong argues that social media is one of the causes of SAD(Social Anxiety Disorder) and OCD(Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Duong claims, “Facebook, for example, is a prime source for SAD because for many users it generates a fear of missing out that leads to a feeling of being disconnected from social experiences” (Duong, 2016). Facebook and other social media websites are the cause of the decline of face-to-face interaction. As Duong stated, it generates the feeling of being disconnected from social experiences meaning that teens or older are missing out on social experiences because of how social media are triggering social anxiety disorders. For example, someone gets off work early and went straight home to relax, but as soon as he opens facebook, he finds out that his friends are all at the bar having fun. Thus, his experience of feeling left out could be the trigger of his SAD. So considering this, there are many adults, scientists, and physicians who strongly believe that social media is controlling our society. SAD and OCD are most likely to be triggered onto teens and adults because of the hours spent online. It could be the hours spent messaging others, talking to friends or browsing around. This argument is strong because it can be considered pathos where readers may feel