Introduction
There are several ways that depression can appear, and each one affects a person to varying degrees. One of the most concerning issues facing the medical field is clinical depression. Researching this problem to find its causes, consequences, and treatment methods is necessary. To develop these measures, there is a need for a thorough study of the disease and current ways to help people with this disorder. Therefore, clinical depression is a complex psychological disease, the study of the causes and consequences of which is critical for determining how to treat it.
Clinical depression is a fairly common problem in the healthcare sector. Research stated that it “is a mental health condition that causes a persistently low or depressed mood and a loss of interest in activities that once brought joy” (“Clinical depression,” 2022, para. 2). This disorder can seriously affect the well-being of individuals, since in addition After the listed symptoms, they may have difficulty sleeping, thinking, and eating. The chronic nature of this illness and the periodization of its most severe bouts are additional factors contributing to its severity.
Literature Review
Conducting a literary review provides an opportunity to determine the state of studies related to clinical depression. In addition, it contributes to allocating the existing gap and requires more analysis and research. A literary review is also valuable as it helps to examine aspects such as the general background of the highlighted problem. Therefore, within the framework of this study of the scientific literature, several articles that relate to clinical depression and the determination of their contribution to this topic will be investigated. The hypothesis of this paper states that clinical depression is caused by poor cognitive control performance and that age, socioeconomic status, and gender play a vital role in this aspect.
The work conducted by Dotson et al. (2020) has shown a correlation between depression and the cognitive functions of individuals. Moreover, the authors have shown a deficit of mental tasks in community-dwelling individuals with both significant and subthreshold depression. This trend was especially evident in patients with clinical depression in the older age group. The results obtained during the study show the importance of clinician screening for cognitive control dysfunction.
The article by Geschwind et al. explores cognitive therapy, the most used method of treating clinical depression. The study’s main results identified a differential effect depending on the phase of treatment. The authors note that “effect sizes for the effect of overall treatment on reduction of depressive symptoms were large” (Geschwind et al., 2020, p. 126). The study supported the raised question about the positive impact of cognitive therapy in treating depression and highlighted the need for further research in this area.
The third article to be investigated in the framework of this literary review is the study by Haller et al. The authors rely on existing knowledge and note that “depression is one of the most significant psychiatric disorders, with about 25% of women and 12% of men suffering from at least one depressive episode during their lifetime” (Haller et al., 2019, p. 1). The results of the study showed the effectiveness of using traditional antidepressant treatment. In addition, it was noted that productivity could be provided by using mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for remission and relapse rates. The authors pointed to the need for further research to expand and improve complementary and alternative medicine treatments for clinical depression.
Methodology
Before proceeding to the analysis and interpretation of information about clinical depression, it is necessary to determine that the primary research design of this research proposal will be descriptive. It can provide the most complete and clear understanding of the causes of clinical depression and its impact on individuals. Therefore, within the framework of this work, the main variables are the symptoms of clinical depression, factors influencing its occurrence, symptoms, and demographic variables such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Because this type of research is qualitative, using such a method as a literary review may be of value.
It is pointed out that “a literature review is an excellent way of synthesizing research findings to show evidence on a meta-level and to uncover areas in which more research is needed” (Snyder, 2019, p. 334). The lack of an observational study led to the selection of this approach. However, the literary review provides an opportunity, in addition to studying academic papers, to research case studies of various patients, which is of value.
Maintaining confidentiality is the first ethical factor to be taken into account when selecting a descriptive research design. This aspect consists of the non-proliferation of any personal information that may be included in the research process. The second possible ethical issue is considering the potential harm that the research may cause. The ethical considerations correlate with the Saint Leo Core value of respect. It states that “animated in the spirit of Jesus Christ, we value all individuals’ unique talents, respect their dignity, and strive to foster their commitment to excellence in our work” (“Mission, values, and identity,” n.d., para. 7). This poses a particular criticality since the main task of scientific work is to provide benefits for patients.
Project Results
Of particular importance in the study of clinical depression is considering demographic aspects, which are age, gender, and economic and social position. It is stated that “women are about twice as likely as men to become depressed” (Bruce, 2021, para. 8). According to a different source, making a distinction between depression in men and women contributes to widening gaps. Hyde and Mezulis (2020) indicated that “depression includes genetic factors, pubertal hormones, and pubertal timing” (p. 6). Researchers say that the biological component plays a significant role and does not include gender differences.
When taking demographic variables like age and socioeconomic position into account, the Abrams and Mehta study is useful. Researchers have shown that “the lowest education group showed the highest depressive symptoms throughout the age range” (Abrams & Mehta, 2019, p. 4). Therefore, individuals who did not have an education or just graduated from high school are more inclined to have mental problems than those with university or college degrees.
Rice et al. (2019) stated that “symptoms in adolescents are changes in appetite, weight gain, weight loss, insomnia, loss of energy and in adults are loss of interest/anhedonia and loss of concentration” (p. 178). A distinctive feature for juvenile patients is vegetative symptoms in early-onset forms of depression. Considering this factor has a significant impact on the care and treatment approaches.
The association between socioeconomic level and the onset of depressive disorder is the final factor that merits consideration. Xue et al. (2023) emphasized that “adults living in high-income inequality counties had worse reported overall physical and mental health than adults living in low-income inequality counties” (p. 23). This fact is of interest because it focuses on how wealth differences affect individuals’ well-being.
Discussion
Regarding gender differences, it is challenging to determine which is more prone to the development of depression and whether there is a correlation between these indicators. Thus, a literature study has shown that when considering biological characteristics, there are no distinctive differences between men and women since genetic factors, pubertal hormones, and pubertal timing play an important role. In addition, the tendency to depressive disorder is caused by the cognitive side of the personality and is an effective factor. A large part of the studies highlighted that the symptoms of this psychological disorder differ in adults and adolescents. This factor is critical because it allows one to understand which patient care programs can be more effective at a certain age.
Conclusion
Limitations in obtaining psychological assistance for people with low socioeconomic status are the most disturbing factor. In other words, due to a lack of resources, individuals do not have the opportunity to receive the necessary treatment and care, if required, in these conditions. These conditions result in the majority of diseases, including clinical depression, going untreated, which raises the disease’s statistics. The number of individuals with depression among this group of citizens is rising in spite of the efforts of governmental and private organizations that focus their operations on offering free advising services.
References
Abrams, L. R., & Mehta, N. K. (2019). Changes in depressive symptoms over age among older Americans: Differences by gender, race/ethnicity, education, and birth cohort. SSM-population Health, 7. Web.
Bruce, D. F. (2021). Causes of depression. WebMD. Web.
Clinical depression (Major depressive disorder). (2022). Cleveland clinic. Web.
Dotson, V. M., McClintock, S. M., Verhaeghen, P., Kim, J. U., Draheim, A. A., Syzmkowicz, S. M., Gradone, A. M., Bogoian, H. R., & Wit, L. D. (2020). Depression and cognitive control across the lifespan: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Neuropsychology Review, 30, 461-476. Web.
Geschwind, N., Arntz, A., Bannink, F., & Peeters, F. (2019). Positive cognitive behavior therapy in the treatment of depression: A randomized order within-subject comparison with traditional cognitive behavior therapy. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 116, 119-130. Web.
Haller, H., Anheyer, D., Cramer, H., & Dobos, G. (2019). Complementary therapies for clinical depression: an overview of systematic reviews. BMJ Open, 9(8), e028527. Web.
Hyde, J. S., & Mezulis, A. H. (2020). Gender differences in depression: biological, affective, cognitive, and sociocultural factors. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 28(1), 4-13. Web.
Mission, values, and identity. (n.d.). Saint Leo University. Web.
Rice, F., Riglin, L., Lomax, T., Souter, E., Potter, R., Smith, D. J.,… & Thapar, A. (2019). Adolescent and adult differences in major depression symptom profiles. Journal of Affective Disorders, 243, 175-181. Web.
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333-339. Web.
Xue, Y., Lu, J., Zheng, X., Zhang, J., Lin, H., Qin, Z., & Zhang, C. (2021). The relationship between socioeconomic status and depression among the older adults: the mediating role of health promoting lifestyle. Journal of Affective Disorders, 285, 22-28. Web.