Depression

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Depression and Gender

          Clinical depression is a far more common illness than most of us imagine. It is the number one illness in women of all age groups worldwide. Women are twice likely to suffer from depression as compared to men. 15-20% of women will suffer from it at least once, at some point in their lives, and many in metropolitan areas are in the age group of 20-30. Men too are prone to depression but the disease is far less common and the rate of prevalence is about 5-10% across all age groups. Men rarely admit to depression and they try to mask it by taking to alcohol and drugs. The reported prevalence of depression in men is also lower due to the gender stereotypical norms and expectations regarding the expression of emotions. In fact, recent data suggests that the suicide mortality rate is higher among men as compared to women.

There are a couple of reasons for this difference between the sexes. For one, the brain reacts differently to the male and female hormones and hormones directly interact with the brain chemistry that controls emotions and mood. Couple that with the fact that there are enormous changes in hormone levels that a woman goes through during her menstrual cycle, or during pregnancy, menopause or miscarriage and you have a recipe for dynamic mood changes. Research has also shown that men and women process serotonin, the ‘happy hormone’ very differently. And finally, imaging studies have found that larger part of a woman’s cortex is devoted to emotional modulation. Researchers theorise that the larger the area devoted to emotions, the more sensitive it would be to hormonal changes, making women uniquely susceptible to mood disorders.

Depression and Elderly

          Depression is a very common concern among the elderly people. They find it difficult to face life, especially after retirement and often plunge into depression. A sense of meaninglessness/insignificance after retirement, social isolation, physical ailments and dependency may perpetuate these feelings. However, it is possible for the elderly to find purpose, fulfillment and happiness. And while ageing is a transitional phase that poses its own challenges, depression is still not a normal response, and therefore must be treated.