Depression in the Lifespan
Depression is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon affecting multiple age cohorts. It is therefore important to understand what differential age-related risk factors account for the manifestation of depressive symptoms, whether precipitating factors are genetic or environmental, also how specific treatment interventions might change depending on age-related needs or age-appropriate interventions. A developmental approach to depression can provide some insight into how clinicians can improve treatment interventions and promote a more nuanced and realistic understanding of the disorder. The symptoms of depression are also likely to be different for different age cohorts, in part due to developmental differences, but also to biological differences in brain structure and chemistry, life experiences and socialization. This topic is important to both clinical and counseling psychology because reframing depression from a developmental perspective can shed light on etiology and best practices.
Review of Literature
Literature has generally not focused on a developmental theoretical perspective, even though early research showed that "socioemotional, cognitive, linguistic, social-cognitive, neurobiological, and neurochemical" domains all need to be "taken into account" when investigating depression (Cicchetti, Nurcombe & Garber, 1992, p. 1). Moreover, researchers have yet to devise reliable methods of measuring depression...
Simmons, Wilkinson & Dubicka (2015) note that, "since the recognition of youth depression, numerous instruments have been developed, but there is little consensus regarding their use," (p. 230). Increased consensus and more finely tuned instrumentation for measuring and diagnosing depression in young people would tremendously help evolve more efficacious interventions.
More recent research on the application of Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) to depression reveals potential areas where developmental psychology can converge with other frameworks for understanding mood disorders in childhood and adolescence. IPT in particular might be indicated for young cohorts to the proven efficaciousness of the modality in general: deMello, Mari, Bacaltchuk & Neugebauer (2005) performed a meta-analysis and found that IPT leads to results comparable to medical interventions for depression, and in fact the results "did not increase when combined with medication," (deMello, et al., 2005, p. 75). This would suggest methods of intervention that avoid the use of pharmacological treatments. IPT also offers a "time limited" method of helping young people, who may benefit from a targeted and brief approach. deMello, et al. (2005) also found that IPT proved more efficacious when treating depression versus cognitive-behavioral…
2007). A teenager who uses drugs or alcohol as escape mechanisms might need to cease their addictive behaviors before symptoms are relieved, because some drugs and alcohol exacerbate pre-existing depression and increase the risk of suicide (Van Voorhees 2007). Van Voorhees (2007) also points out that some physical illnesses can create symptoms that mimic depression and so doctors should perform a litany of blood tests to make more accurate diagnoses
Depression in the Elderly Although many of the elderly citizens in the United States in the future will enjoy better health than in years past, many will still suffer from various age-related healthcare and mental health problems as they grow older that may contribute to the development of depressive disorders. In fact, older people in particular have a number of factors working against them that appear to contribute to the incidence
It was after a lot of concern expressed in this matter and after a long legal and judicial consideration that the legislature passed the act. Legal Enforcement The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is the authority that enforces the legislation on age discrimination namely the 'Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 - ADEA'. This act is designed to protect individuals who are about forty or above years of age the
.....theoretical perspectives to understand human development is stage theories, which postulate that human development takes place in different stages and change throughout the life span (Lerner et al., 2013, p.466). Erikson's Psychosocial Theory is an example of a theory under this perspective, which state that there are eight stages of psychosocial development that are biologically developed to manifest in a pre-determined, sequential way. Through this theory, Erikson effectively demonstrates that
The Social Issue Depression is a significant social issue of interest to me as I have seen it affect numerous people in my own life and have even struggled with it at times myself. Depression has caused people to take their lives: Chester Bennington, lead singer of the group Linkin Park took his life following the suicide of his friend, and numerous other people who are less famous end up in
Health care workers are not immune to psychosocial problems and often may face distinctive obstacles in dealing with them. Self-care among physicians, nurses, and other health care workers is not included as a part of their training but it is an issue that often comes up in the course of their daily routines or in their professional practice. The stresses of professional practice, shift work, and personal life can be