Depressionalso called clinical depression or a depressive disorderis a mood disorder that causes distressing symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. Good harvard medical school crosscultural aspects of depression. Diagnosis and management of depression across cultures. I do not know of good research linking this to meditative practices even though meditation is helpful for this type of. This first workbook should normally be read over 1 2 weeks. However, lifetime prevalence estimates of major depression vary widely across countries, with prevalence generally higher in high income versus lowmiddle income countries. For instance, the world mental health surveys showed that stigma was closely associated with anxiety and mood disorders among adults reporting significant disability.
Cultural aspects of depressive experience and disorders. The epidemiology of depression across cultures request pdf. Sociology of depression effects of culture depression. In comparing the responses from the 1970s and the present, it was found that the dominant understanding of depression has been subject to change.
Think about how much you know about the causes and treatment of depression. Cultural variations in the presentation of depression culture is defined as the ideas, customs and social behaviour of a particular group of people or society, sug gesting that culture is a dynamic and evolving process that varies over time. The epidemiology of depression across cultures ncbi. In some cultures visiting a doctor with depression is culturally unacceptable. Biological differences in depression and anxiety across races and. It is painful for the person suffering from depression and. The first step to recovery is to have an open and honest. Chapters offer evidence regarding why womens depression is more widespread than mens and why the treatment of depression lies in understanding that a persons individual psychology is inextricably related to the social world and to close relationships. Ethnic variation in depressive symptoms in a community. If you think that you or someone you know has anxiety or depression, talking to a gp is a good place to start. Selected risk factors for depression are also considered within the historical context of aboriginal peoples in canada. Comments have been frequently made on the differences in the symptomatological pattern of depression in different cultural groups. The key to successful treatment of depression in this multicultural setting is further research into the experience and management of depression across cultures, increasing awareness of cultural differences amongst clinicians, and training in culturally sensitivity and novel strategies that help to. Understanding depression across cultures request pdf.
However, in the united states, depression in men is typically under reported, probably due to viewing depression as weakness as well as a lack of understanding depression among men in. There are also some other mental health problems often linked to depression. In 2008, who ranked major depression as the third cause of burden of disease worldwide and projected that the disease will rank first by 2030. They study culture, social groups and how they affect individuals. Sociologists study how people get along together in groups.
Depressive disorders occur with fairly high prevalence across gender, age, and ethnicity in the united states the oneyear prevalence rate is between 5. And, again, consistent with other research, across cultures women are more susceptible to depression than men. Language mediated understandings of depression across cultures 2016. Explanatory frameworks are sets of assumptions about. A gp can make a diagnosis, check for any physical health problem or medication that may be contributing to the anxiety and depression, and discuss treatment options. The aim is to equip readers with an uptodate understanding of the clinical and neurobiological underpinnings of depression and their relation to clinical manifestations and the development of. Jenkins case western reserve university arthur kleinman byron j. Understanding the individualismcollectivism cleavage and. Oct 18, 2006 as arrington and wilson 2000 explain in their examination of risk and resilience across cultures, an appreciation for culture and diversity can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the processes of risk and resilience in the lives of youth in our society p. What are some causes of depression across cultures. Finally, the paper will conclude by examining some health consequences related to depression as well as a. Although estimates of lifetime prevalence and course vary substantially across countries for reasons that could involve both substantive and methodological. Major depression is a commonly occurring disorder in all countries where epidemiological surveys have been carried out. The world health organization who has ranked depression the 4 th leading cause of disability worldwide and projects that by 2020, it will be the second leading cause.
Depression across cultures the british journal of psychiatry. The prevalence rates for depression may be expected to differ according to the sample composition e. Depression is more than a passing bout of sadness or dejection, or feeling down in the dumps. Temporally, depression varies across a spectrum from acute distress states to acute full episodes, to relapsing course, and finally to chronic unremitting course.
The overcoming depression course is a series of workbooks that will help you to find out about the causes of depression, and to change problem areas of your life so that you begin to feel better. A delphi procedure was utilised which enabled a group of eleven culture depression experts from around the globe to respond to an openended questionnaire related to the methodological and epistemological problems confronting the understanding of depression across cultures. To identify a depressive state when gps see patients from other. Cultural influences on the presentation of depression. Yi also says that she has little energy and is having a difficult time balancing school and family obligations. These items have an equivalent meaning across cultures and are then used to create cultural mappings. Ethnic variation in depressive symptoms in a community sample. Depression is a global mental health condition that affects all cultures. For example, in some cultures, depression may be experienced largely in somatic terms rather than with sadness or guilt.
Kraepelin 1921, in his study on the incidence of depressive illness in asian countries, mentioned that depression in java was characterized almost exclusively by excitement and confusion and that ideas of sin and suicidal tendencies were absent. The results were compared to the findings of a similar study that was conducted in the mid 1970s that aimed to find connections between language and the subjective experience of depression. The latest versions of adobe reader do not support viewing pdf files. Major depression is a common illness that severely limits psychosocial functioning and diminishes quality of life. Kastrup, denmark globalization and increasing pluralism require psychiatrists to evaluate the impact of cultural factors on depressive disorders.
Major depression is a commonly occurring, serious, recurrent disorder linked to diminished role functioning and quality of life, medical morbidity, and mortality 115, 122. Kastrup, md, phd head, center of transcultural psychiatry, psychiatric center copenhagen copenhagen, denmark cultural aspects of depression as a diagnostic entity. The sociology of depression looks at the cultural context in which people live. That said, low education and marital disruption are among the most common social correlates with depression across cultures based on the world mental health survey kessler and bromet, 2014. During the next hour we will explore how culture shapes the way. Symptoms do not only vary in their expression across cultures but will also greatly vary within cultures and across individuals. Some come from groups that have been oppressed for generations. Use this workbook in order to work out which of the other workbooks you should read. Understanding depression across cultures the challenges and benefits of making parent connections. Reaching out to families facing adversity t short paper 4 depression is an illness that is extremely painful to live with. Chapters offer evidence regarding why womens depression is more widespread than mens and why the treatment of depression lies in understanding that a persons individual psychology is inextricably. Major depression is estimated in these surveys to be a commonly occurring disorder. You may not realise whats going on, because sometimes your problems seem to be physical, rather than mental or emotional. All these symptoms are consistent with dsm criteria for major depressive disorder american.
While depression is extremely common in the usa, most of it is not major depression. Understanding the individualismcollectivism cleavage and its effects. The companion volume is dedicated to clinical and management issues in depression. Presents research findings from the biomedical and ethnographical approaches to understanding depression across cultures. We argue that culture is of profound importance to the experience of depression, the construction of meaning and social response to depressive illness within families and communities, the course and outcome of the disorder, and thus to the very constitution of depressive illness. Sometimes depression leads to increased appetite, while other times it leads to decreased appetite. Pdf understanding depression across cultural contexts. Welcome to this healthtalk webcast, recognizing and treating depression across cultures. This is referred to as ticket behaviour which may have less stigma associated with it, but can make it harder for the physician to diagnose depression and lead to unnecessary investigations as illustrated in the following graph 14. However, no study has been conducted across several cultures simultaneously to comparetheprevalence,psychosocialorigins and consequences of postnatal depression.
Problems with international research into postnatal depression in particular, and depression in general, are further com. Still other cultures may recognize that symptoms of depression are problematic. The first step to recovery is to have an open and honest conversation with your health care provider. Variation among asian americans of east asian descent and european americans. Introduction in this chapter we examine key questions that arise from a crosscultural ap proach to the study of depression. Individuals from these cultures might find it odd that a western psychologist would think that two years spent mourning for a lost spouse was a sign of a mental health problem. Despite this, the way depression is expressed varies by culture. There are also some other mental health problems often linked to. Sociology of depression effects of culture rashmi nemade, ph. Around ten percent of north americans suffer from depression.
The epidemiology of depression across cultures annual. As youll see, theres a cluster of symptoms that are typically present, but one persons experience of depression often differs from anothers. Although the reasons for stigmatization are not consistent across communities or cultures, perceived stigma by individuals living with mental illness is reported internationally. The first workbook, understanding depression, will help you to work out which of the five areas of depression you have problems with. In particular, similarly to the individualistcollectivist dimension of cultures in. People with depression withdraw from social interactions, from. In understanding depression, find out how effective t. Major depression seems to be relatively equal across cultures, but the type of depression dysthymia that is less serious might not be. Families participating in head start come from many different cultural backgrounds, bringing a unique blend of history, traditions and beliefs to the tasks of child. Many minority group patients who attend primary health care are depressed. Understanding depression across cultural contexts culture and.
Introduction in this chapter we examine key questions that arise from a. From a leading medical expert at johns hopkins, here is an uptotheminute, definitive guide to what s known about depression and how it can be treated. A social identity perspective xueling melissa chang bachelor of arts in psychology hons a thesis submitted for the degree of doctor of philosophy at. The risk factors, course, outcome, subtypes, and presentation of depression are substantially heterogeneous within as well as across cultures. A study of withinculture variation elizabeth lynch, douglas medin preventive medicine, northwestern university, 680 n lake shore drive, suite 1102 feinberg school of medicine, chicago, il 606114402, usa accepted 16 february 2006 abstract. Resilience across cultures the british journal of social.
A concluding section considers progress towards precision psychiatry and gender and cultural differences in depression. We offer a new view of gender differences in depression situated in the formation and consequences of selfsilencing, including differing motivational aims, norms of masculinity and femininity, and the. Just like a rash or heart disease, depression can take many forms. This perspective, however, will benefit from more research. Moreover, research conducted in the united states, chile and spain found that cultural differences on the expectations of individuals based on gender varied across cultures and that resulted in different levels of depression across individuals changes in gender roles across countries and cultures in this study served to explain varying levels. This book, in two volumes, focuses on contemporary issues and dilemmas in relation to depression. Recognizing and treating depression across cultures. This book breaks new ground by demonstrating that the linkage of depressive symptoms with selfsilencing occurs across a range of cultures. The key to successful treatment of depression in this multicultural setting is further research into the experience and management of depression across cultures, increasing awareness of cultural differences amongst clinicians, and training in culturally sensitivity and novel strategies that help to overcome these difficulties. A delphi procedure was utilised which enabled a group of eleven culturedepression experts from around the globe to respond to an openended questionnaire related to the methodological and epistemological problems confronting the understanding of depression across cultures. Dana jack fairhaven college of interdisciplinary studies.
To be diagnosed with depression, symptoms must be present most of the day, nearly every day for at least 2 weeks. Although she does not spontaneously use emotional terms to describe how she feels, when asked she agrees that she is. Some cultures may view symptoms of depression as normal emotional. Workbook 1 understanding depression live life well. Understanding the world as it really israndomcan liberate and empower us. It can leave you feeling continuously burdened and can sap the joy out of oncepleasurable activities. However, despite extensive investigation of asian somatization, there has been little progress in explaining how and when. Kraepelin 1921, in his study on the incidence of depressive illness in asian countries, mentioned that depression in java was characterized. Recognition of depression in people of different cultures. Cultural aspects of depression as a diagnostic entity. Mde includes depressive episodes that occur as part of a bipolar disorder while mdd excludes bipolar depression. Understanding depression will be an excellent source of information for both researchers and practitioners in the field.
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