DEPRESSION Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

DEPRESSION - Research Paper Example Sleeplessness, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, Loss of interest in daily activities, Appetite or weight changes etc are some of the major symptoms of depression. Depression can be treated effectively with the help of a psychologist and a psychiatrist. This paper analyses various dimensions of depression. Depression Depression is one of the major psychological diseases which prevent people from leading a normal life. Most of the psychological disorders originated from depression. It is difficult to assess how severely a person is affected by depression. Unlike physical diseases, psychological diseases cannot be assessed with the help of any laboratory testing. The major symptoms of depression can be witnessed in the behaviors of the patient and the severity of the disease can be assessed only through the evaluation of the behavioral pattern of the patient. Chronic depressive patients may cause physical injuries to themselves and others. â€Å"It has been estimated that per haps somewhere between 10 and 30 percent depressives and manic depressives kill themselves† (Klein, & Wender, 2005, p.1). Even though the actual causes of depression is still unknown, psychologists believe that heredity and environment plays an important role in making a person depressive. ... Many of them may not sleep well and mood changes occur to them constantly and continuously. It is difficult for depressive patients to concentrate longer on a particular topic. They often complain about unrealistic problems they are facing. For example, it is quite possible that a depressive patient may complain about body pain, head ache etc even though they have no such real problems. Fatigue or tiredness can be witnessed in every activities of a depressive patient. Depressive patients often avoid the company of others and they will try to lead a lonely life. Anxiety is another major symptom of depression. Causes of depression Heredity and environment are the major reasons which contribute heavily to the psychological disorders like depression. A person with family history of psychological disorders is more vulnerable to depression. Same way, a person living in a tough environment can also develop depression. According to Chan et al (2010), â€Å"as many as 38% of cancer patients suffer from major depression, with a mean of 24% and median of 22%† (Chan et al, 2010, p.46). In other words, many of the chronic physical diseases can contribute to the development of depression among people. Man is a social animal who likes to interact with others. These interactions often create stresses in the minds of a person. Personal, family, social and professional commitments of the current generation are more than that of the older generation. The failure in fulfilling these commitments may often make the person depressive. Klein &Wender (2005) have mentioned that depressive illness is often triggered by a real event like the death of a loved one (Klein, & Wender, 2005, p.13). It is possible that people develop close relationships with some others.