STRESS AND DEPRESSION: A DAILY STRUGGLE FOR AMERICANS

Policy Brief by Serenity Inc.

FACTS & STATISTICS

In the past six years, 80%

of Americans have
experienced daily stress

Anxiety disorders are the

most common mental

Summary
One of the most common problems amongst Americans is stress and
depression. When it comes to treating stress and depression, many people
turn to therapy and medication. While this form of treatment works for
some, many people have to struggle through everyday life with untreated
stress and depression. In an attempt to address this problem, Serenity Inc.
has come up with a revolutionary and unconventional method for treating
stress and depression.

Background Information

illness in the U.S.

Stress is a complicated paradox. Stress is a psychological and physical

response to the demands of everyday life. Many things can cause stress
from financial pressure, social expectations, aging and illnesses. Based on
diagnosed with depression
the 2014 study conducted by the American Institute of Stress, it was
discovered that 77% of people experience the daily symptoms of stress
are also diagnosed with an
(irritability, anger, fatigue, stomachaches, tension headaches, etc.).
anxiety disorder
Although stress is a relatively large part of everyday life, stress has proven
to be a fast-growing epidemic. According to the Richmond Hypnosis
Center, 110 million people die every year from stress. Not only can stress
be painful to experience, it has also proven to be deadly in extreme cases.
Stress is not a topic to be taken lightly, as it is an epidemic that is altering
the lives of many Americans.
At some point and time, everyone has been in a somber mood and/or
felt sad. Many of these feelings past within a couple of days or so.
Depression can be described as a long-lasting feeling of sadness. Studies
have shown that depressive illnesses are mental disorders of the brain.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the brains of people with depression are different than the brains of
people without depression. Many things can cause depression such as, genetics, trauma, a difficult relationship, and stress.
People undergoing depression often experience persistent sadness, feelings of worthlessness, insomnia, and thoughts of
suicide. Although, women are 70% more likely than men to experience depression I their lifetime, depression is a topic
that should be taken seriously by everyone.

About 50% of people

Different Types of Stress and Depression

acute stress
emotional distress
chronic stress
psychotic depression
seasonal affective Disorder

MANIC DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS

ATYPICAL DEPRESSION
CLINICAL DEPRESSION
POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

Graphs and Analysis

The graph displays teenaged

females suicide rates of the age 15
and older by ethnicity/ racial
background, in 2001. It shows that
the Native American and White
ethnicities are more likely to
commit suicide more than the
others. The Hispanic and Black
ethnicities have a lower rate of
suicide, than the other ethnicities.

This graph shows the growing number

of children being bullied from the years
2003 to 2007. These increasing numbers
of children can lead to depression. And
with our product we can help children
and have them talk to someone when no
one else will. Our product will also help
decrease these numbers by having these
kids talk to someone about their
problems.

During 2005-2009, the highest suicide

rates were among American
Indian/Alaskan Native males with 27.61
suicides per 100,000. Of all female
race/ethnicity groups, the American
Indian/Alaskan Natives and Non-Hispanic
Whites had the highest rates with 7.87 and
6.71 suicides per 100,000, respectively.
The Asian/Pacific Islanders had the lowest
suicide rates among males while the NonHispanic Blacks had the lowest suicide
rate among females.

Existing Policy Options

The two most common forms of treatment for stress and depression include therapy and medication as
recommended by a doctor. CBT, (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is a type of talking therapy that has shown to be
effective in treating stress and anxiety disorders. The purpose of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is to help patients replace
negative thoughts with positive ones. Although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy lasts about 12 weeks, the benefits are longlasting. Medication is often used in combination with therapy. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of
America, children ages 7-17 that used medication along with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy saw extensive breakthroughs
in their stress and anxiety. Many medications used to treat stress include: benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and buspirone.

Recommended Policy Options

Serenity Inc. is proposing a new and unconventional policy for treating stress and depression. Serenity Inc. has
designed the Encourage Me wristband. The band is designed to detect the stress and depression-related spikes in the
heartbeat of the person wearing it and send the information to the free Encourage Me app. The Encourage Me app will
then send the person encouraging messages based on the severity of the spike. The American-based trials conducted by
Serenity Inc. showed that the prototypes for the Encourage Me band produced similar results to common medications for
stress and depression. After three months of using the Encourage Me Band couple with the Encourage Me app, users were
experiencing more positive thoughts, better sleep, authentic happiness, and less mood swings. Serenity Inc. plans to
drastically change the percentage of stress and depression present in the daily lives of Americans.

Serenity Inc. is spreading encouragement one message at a time. Serenity

Inc. CEO

Sources