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Depression

Helena Her

English PreAP Per. 8

Miss Noriega

6 March 2015
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Imagine this: you’re strolling down a path, and as you get further along the path, it starts

to gets darker and darker. You continue down this path and soon... you can’t see at all! It’s pitch

black and you can’t escape. Walking down this path goes from days to months and eventually

from months to years. What is this and how did you get here in the first place? Depression is

very similar to this situation and you have probably been a victim to mild depression at least

once in your life. So you may ask, ​how can this happen?​ Here’s your answer: Depression is

caused by the environment in which a person grows up in, and the traumatic experiences that

occur in his/her life.

Depression is a mood disorder, but unlike the common “‘bout of the blues”, it isn’t

something you can simply snap out of (Mayo Clinic). It causes a constant feeling of sadness, loss

of interests and affects how you feel, think, and behave. Some cases require years of medication

and counseling.

Some common knowledge may include that depression is more common in females and

poverty stricken people (Pratt, Laura A., Brody 2008). Data from the National Health and

Nutrition Examination Survey, also found that people from age 40-59 have higher rates of

depression- although depression often begins in the teenage years. Certain personality traits such

as low self-esteem, being overly dependent, or self-critical can increase your risk of developing

or triggering depression. Traumatic or stressful events like: loss of a loved one, financial

problems, etc. can also increase your risk. In fact, a survey done by the University Institute of

Psychology, Health, and Society found that traumatic events were the single biggest cause of

depression (University of Liverpool).

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Traumatic experiences come in many forms, one being burnout. Burnout is a common

problem in America and across the globe. It causes high amounts of stress and exhaustion, so it’s

connection to depression is evident. In 2014, a study done by Professor Irvin Schonfeld tested

over 5,500 school teachers to examine the connection between burnout and depression (City

College of New York). A shocking 90% of the subjects identified as “burnt-out” met the

diagnostic criteria for depression.

Want to hear something even more shocking? Something that billions practice daily is

also a source of depression. Although previously, it ​was ​thought that religion helped against

depression, a new study has shown otherwise (Persaud & Bruggen 2013). A ​very thorough

investigation followed people for a year and found a rather surprising relationship between

religious belief and depression. Religion, and even more, spirituality (not tied to formal religion),

appeared to be unhelpful in terms of protecting you from low mood, and could even be linked

with more depression. The study proved that spiritual participants were nearly three times more

likely to experience an event of depression than the non religious group.

However, a more well known issue is media’s influence on body image and ultimately,

depression. ​For example, we are bombarded by idolized characters through magazines, tv, etc.

daily. This causes a constant comparison of one’s self with unachievable images, which can

result in depression. In addition to this, adolescents who spend too much time engaging with

media are lose the opportunity to socialize with peers. This can make them feel “left out” or

“different”.

In a study done by researchers at Bradley Hospital, Butler Hospital, and Brown Medical

School, it was discovered that adolescents with negative body image concerns are more likely to
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be depressed than those without (Primack, Brian A., Swanier, Anna M. Georgiopoulos, Land,

and Fine. 2006). Those with BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder) also had higher levels of anxiety

and suicidality. Interestingly though, the majority of the adolescents in the study were not

actually overweight. They also discovered that young men were more likely to develop

depression due to media exposure than young women.

Men are often overlooked when it comes to issues like body image or depression, but the

media pushes muscularity in men just as much as it pushes thinness in women (​Mental Health

Weekly Digest)​. ​Mental Health Weekly Digest surveyed 328 normal weight French men.

Participants​ were asked to complete a figure-rating scale and questionnaires to evaluate

dissatisfaction with muscularity, low self esteem, media influences, etc. They were later

categorized in clusters (1,2,3) according to their answers. Cluster 3 had the highest levels of

depressive symptoms and a significant rate of disordered eating. A ​dissatisfaction with muscle

mass and body dissatisfaction was said to have caused this.

It’s hard to identify who is exactly “depressed”. Many don’t seek help and many more go

unnoticed. It could be the girl who sits across from you in math or the shy guy you see at church

every once in a while. As a society, we’re constantly looking for the “next best thing” and we set

very high standards. It’s difficult to just be 100% happy with yourself and your life, regardless of

your age. That said, some of these depression causing factors can be eliminated. For example,

you can easily limit your television and media. You can also learn ways to manage your stress or

burnout (yoga, meditation, etc). Apart from this, don’t isolate yourself in times of need. Don’t be

scared of help from others and don’t be scared to help others.

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Works Cited

City College of New York. "Psychologist links burnout, depression." ScienceDaily.

ScienceDaily, 15 December 2014.

"Findings from University of Toulouse Has Provided New Data on Men's Health."

Mental Health Weekly Digest​ 21 Apr. 2014: 59. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context​. Web. 31 Jan.

2015.

Mayoclinic.org,. ' Depression (Major Depression) Definition - Diseases And Conditions -

Mayo Clinic '. N. p., 2015. Web. 23 Jan. 2015.

Negative body image is related to depression, anxiety and suicidality among

adolescents." ​Science Letter ​27 June 2006: 977. ​Student Resources in Context​. Web. 3 Feb. 2015.

Pratt, Laura A., and Debra J. Brody. "Depression in the United States Household

Population, 2005-2006." ​NCHS Data Brief​. Sept. 2008: 1-8.​SIRS Government Reporter.​ Web. 03

Feb. 2015.

Primack, Brian A., Brandi Swanier, Anna M. Georgiopoulos, Stephanie R. Land, and

Michael J. Fine. "Association Between Media Use in Adolescence and Depression in Young

Adulthood: A Longitudinal Study." Archives of General Psychiatry. U.S. National Library of

Medicine, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2015.

The Huffington Post UK,. 'Being Religious Or Spiritual Is Linked With Getting More

Depressed'. N. p., 2015. Web. 5 Feb. 2015.

University of Liverpool. "Traumatic life events biggest cause of anxiety, depression."

ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 October 2013.