Depression Essay

The problem of depression is very relevant today as in the past 40 years in the most developed countries there was a significant increase in the number of depression, which become one of the fundamental problems of mankind by the end of XX century.
Depression in its various clinical forms is recognized as one of the major causes of disability and it ranks fourth place among all diseases according to the integrative assessment of the burden borne by society because of them.
Various clinical forms of depression are the undisputed leaders among the other psychiatric disorders according to the level of their prevalence. Worldwide studies demonstrate that depression, together with cardiovascular disease, is the most common disease of our time. It is a common disorder, which affects millions of people. According to various researchers, it affects up to 20% of the population in the developed countries (Feely, 2009). Depressive disorders are important factors of risk for the emergence of various forms of chemical dependency and, to a large extent complicate the accompanying somatic diseases. Depression is a serious disease that roughly reduces the ability to work and brings suffering to the patients and his relatives.
Depression is costly to society. Taking into account the losses in productivity, the resulting labor turnover and costs of medical care, depression costs Americans annually $43.7 billion (Ingram, 2009). American experts have estimated that the annual incidence of depression costs of 156 million days of lost work time to society.
“Depression is a psychological disorder that is characterized by depressed mood (hypothymia), inhibition of intellectual and motor activities, decreased vital impulses, pessimistic assessments of themselves and their position in reality, and somatic and neurologic disorders” (Dyck, 1991). Depression has such cognitive properties as negative, eliminating assessment of the personality, world and the future. Depression characterized by a wide variety and extent.
Up to the present time among the psychological concepts of depression there are three main theoretical models which is relevant and which are, in one degree or another, the main concepts for most empirical studies: psychoanalytic, behavioristic, and cognitive
Each of these approaches emphasizes certain aspects of disorders, ignoring the rest of them. Thus, analytic therapy is focused mainly on children’s injuries, behavioral – on sustainable ways of responding that occurred from the mechanism of conditioned reflex connection; cognitive approach – on the dysfunctional patterns of mental process (DePaulo, 2002).
Depression can be explained as an emotional disorder which destroys an individual’s emotional condition. Such disorder has specific indications to detect it. They are loss of interest in things which happens every day, the things which were interesting for a person before, the feeling of unhappiness and tiredness, and even the physical pain in muscles. The way the person conducts himself, his feelings, emotions and thoughts determine the way this condition is qualified in. These factors are reviewed by the theory of depression as the factors to clarify way in which this state increases during individual’s life (Joiner, 1999).
Neurobiology Theory
The neurobiological theory of depression recognizes particular neural processes that add to the indications an individual experiences. Chemical substances in the brain which are called neurotransmitters control the processes occurring in the body. Feelings, emotions and thoughts are controlled by such chemicals as epinephrine, dopamine and nor-epinephrine. If any of these substances are misbalanced, an individual experiences the symptoms of depression. In such a case medical treatments suggest the using of antidepressant pills that can adjust chemical imbalances which take place in the brain (Clark, 1999).
Cognitive Theory
The cognitive-behavioral branch of psychotherapy was found out by a famous psychologist who worked in 20th century Aaron T. Beck. His theory which was named as Beck’s Cognitive Theory of Depression determines the cause of depression within the mental processes of the brain (Joiner, 1999). People who have such symptoms as unhappiness, loss of self-respect and despair are normally plagued with negative models of the mental process. According to this point of view mental processes are considered as the “conductors” of emotions and feelings. A medical treatment suggests concentration on reducing these negative models of the thinking process and changing them on the positive ones. Affective symptoms will disappear with these negative models of the mental processes (Alladin, 1994).
Evolutionary Theory
Evolutionary psychology studies the way in which human behaviors are connected with the survival of the forms. A theory of depression, called Rank Theory, considers depression frustrations as survival tactics that facilitate the survival of the weaker society members. People who consider themselves as the members of lower status than others are demonstrates the symptoms of depression a protecting mechanism and the way to live coping with their status. Sadness and tiredness are the main symptoms of this depression. These symptoms create the barrier for competitions or conflicts with other members of a society and simultaneously it helps to maintain the balance of the species (Whiffen, 2001).
Malaise Theory
The Malaise Theory of depression considers the frustration to be caused by a hyperactive immune system being a response that attack specific processes of chemical character within the human body. The higher levels of cytokines in the system cause sickness state which is the form of this theory of depression. Cytokines are a rank of immune active agents and it’s considered that they are responsible for tiredness and physical pain in muscles what is usual for some forms of depression. Negative mental processes, emotions and feelings worsen the situation. The main way to treat this form of depression is to use antidepressants which work as analgesic and eliminate the levels of cytokines which causes symptoms (Friedman, 1974).
The Ellis’ Theory of Depression
The Ellis’ theory of depression (from Latin “depressio” – suppression) is a theoretical construct of cognitive psychology. As Albert Ellis presented it in the genesis of depression cognitive elements play an important role but these elements are often ignored. In accordance with his theory, people will feel frustrated that will result finally in depression if:
they negatively perceives themselves;
they have a vague or negative images of their surroundings;
they expect just bad things from the future;
they rarely praises themselves, and often criticize;
they have no happy events in life;
they feel their inability to influence the negative events in their lives.
If these individual’s representations take the form of rigid stereotypes, and the probability of depression seriously increases (Kirk, 2000).
The Psychoanalytic Theory of Depression
Speaking of psychoanalytic tradition of depression analysis, it is necessary firstly to focus on the interpretation of origin and the role of various discrete emotions. All analysts agree that the emotion of sadness is a part of the depressive syndrome. Grief, in their opinion, is the result of real or imagined loss that threatens to the individual’s self-respect, confidence and emotional security. Analysts believe that a predisposition to sadness is formed on the oral stage of infancy, a period of the individual’s maximum helplessness and dependence (Abramson, 1997).
The second emotion that most psychoanalysts reviewed following Abraham is a component of a depressive syndrome – the emotion of anger. All psychoanalytic theorists agree that anger and hostility presenting in the state of depression originate from early frustration and the tendency to attachment at the early oral and oral-sadistic stages of psychosexual development. Some experts, such as Frornm-Reichmann, and Bibring, however, divert a smaller role to anger and hostility (Alloy, 1998).
Psychoanalysts also associate the feelings of guilt with depression. For instance, Rado says that the gloomy mood of remorse is dominant in the depressive syndrome. The phrase “groom remorse” itself involves a combination of sadness and guilt (Abramson, 2001). Feelings of guilt, according to the psychoanalytic scheme arises from the poorly controlled anger and rage, and they determinate behavior.
Many theorists of psychoanalysis recall the feelings of fear and worry as a component of a depressive syndrome, and some of them see it in the context of fear to lose sexuality. Summing up the different points of view, it’s possible to say that the fear of a depressive human being is connected to his feeling of inadequacy, worthlessness before threat or danger. Janet spoke about the fear of action as a key determinant of depression, and Bowlby considered fear as part of the separation syndrome in young children (Gotlib, 1997).
As for the feelings of shame, some analysts consider it an important component of depression, while others do not include it in the dynamics of depression at all. Freud believed that depressed people cannot feel shame, whereas Fromm-Reichmann and Helen Lewis viewed it as an important component of depressive feelings (Whisman, 1997). Most analysts agree that an important component of depression is loss of self-respect, confidence and self-dignity. It seems legitimate to consider these aforementioned psychological phenomena and their accompanying feelings of worthlessness as indicators of the emotions of shame.
It should be noted that analysts refer to discrete emotions much more often to describe depression than in the analysis of worry. Most of the components of depression, which are considered in the theory of differential emotions, are reflected in various psychoanalytic theories.
Speaking of the psychological processes involved in depression, it is worth to clarify that the depression is not a weakness of character but disease, which is severe enough that without drug treatment and psychological care can last for years. Psychologists found that there is no a single theory underlying the depression (Scott, 2007). Psychological trauma, hormonal and biochemical changes in the human body, problems in relationships, loss of loved ones or important people, grief, disappointment in themselves or in their environment, excessive demands on themselves, age crises are all the factors that can provoke and run symptoms of the disease. Loss of interest in life, the apathy, the desire to hide, shut down in the little world, longing, loneliness and fatigue which seems to be unbearable, it looks like there is neither the strength nor the way out of this painful condition. Psychologist can provide qualified psychological care in this state. Since during depression there are different stages, a psychologist can help diagnose whether this is a state of depression or a disease that requires a patient and medical treatment. Human being in the state of depression represents the past as a string of failures, the present seems dull and bleak, and the future is hopeless or catastrophic (Schwartz, 1993).
Depression is a common disorder that it is sometimes called “cold” among mental illnesses. Each of us has ever been depressed. “I’m depressed” – sometimes perfectly healthy people say when they feel depressed due to the plans which are important for them and were not realized. Despite the sad feelings people continue living their daily lives. In contrast to them, people with depressive disorder, experience frustration and helplessness that beset them for a long time, do not pass so easy, and usually substantially violate a person’s ability to think and act adequately what will affect his job and communication with people.
Depression is one of the most common disorders encountered in psychological practice (3 to 6% in the population) (Lubbe, 2011). And about 1% of depressions which are diagnosed each year happen the first time. This means that the risk of the disease during people’s lifetime is about 20% (Ingram, 2009). At the present time, depression is one of the major problems of our society. This is due, first of all, to an increase of depressive illness nowadays. This problem is especially urgent for the developing countries due to unstable economic and political situation, the uncertainty of people in the future, as well as an increase of the number of stressful situations.