Introduction
Human beings often experience feelings that are reactions to certain challenging events (stress). This is usual since the body will be getting ready to challenge a not so pleasant situation with keen preparedness. These events which activate stress include facing danger and harmful reactions in life situations. When these stress events turn out to be repetitively intense and frequent we build up indications of depression. Stressful events participate in making adults depressed. These situations have also been identified in adolescents although they seem to have been neglected (Rizo, Daley & Gunderson 2006). Neglect sometimes is seen to escalate to suicidal cases. Researchers have further proved that academic stress that leads to depression and suicide is mostly realised during exam time in schools (Ang & Huan 2006). Depression being a familiar malady affects us at some point and is common in all age groups and walks of life. While sadness is a normal stress reaction to hurting circumstances which we all go through at some time, depression has more to do with physical illness with a lot more signs than being unhappy. Many times people become depressed for good enough reasons; this is like after the loss of a job or a loved one. With clinical depression on the other hand there is no necessary reason, even when everything is all right chemicals in the brain responsible for mood control become out balanced and one feels depressed. This can be treated thou by medication and psychotherapy.
Stress is the aftermath of the failure of a person to responding appropriately to psychological or physical danger whether real or imagined. Most human beings do not have the capacity to get accustomed to changes or hard situations of life naturally. Very few do adapt to these situations. The outcome of these difficult situations is normally subjection to overwhelming stress that gives birth to depression. It is definite depression is contributed by stress taking into account symptoms like sadness. Psychiatrists have further proved that stress tends to boost depression. According to the Journal of Advanced Nursing by Fu and Parahoo (2009) depression has the main cause being stress. Research was done on Taiwanese people who had depression and were recovering, it indicated that most of them were depressed due to, “stress in marital relationship; stress brought about by extended family conflict; life circumstance stress and Early life experience stress’’. This information shows that conflicts in the family, family welfare, health matters and finance related pressure brings about stress which escalates into depression. Therefore this paper seeks to point out that stress is a major ingredient of depression; show the causes, symptoms, highlight how stresses is manifested in different kinds of people, show how to manage stress that brings about depression and conclude by highlighting measures to be taken to curb such situations.
Causes
Medical practitioners and researchers believe stress is a major factor to depressive moods. Depression has a close link with a person’s mental disposition or self personality, the highway to this condition is subtle and complex. With the failure to respond to psychological dangers (stress) one tends to become depressed. The psychological constituents of a person often choose the tendencies towards depression. “Individuals perceive demand as either exceeding or not exceeding their ability to cope, that is stress occurs where there is an imbalance between external demands and perceived capability to adequately respond to this demands” (Guidon & Smith 2002). The brain is seen to timely work on choice and reaction. Neurotransmitters assist in making decisions within areas of communications. When a person lacks the communication he may become depressed. Other contributing aspects can be work stress or stress at home bringing about this condition. In general we can say having problems triggers stress giving birth to this psychological behaviour.
Very often people tend to think themselves into stressful situations. The way a person thinks assists him or her in allowing or not allowing stress. When one shows temperament to impatience, becomes, angry and worries a lot he or she is prone to high stress and depression. A person can escalate this situation by developing fear of a possible outcome of a bad situation at hand. Constant situations of stress makes people build up negative patterns of thinking. The stressful situations usually transforms in to depression with the smallest amount of life’s provocation.
Stress and depression on gender and age
People of all ages are seen to exhibit stressful conditions that could develop to depression symptoms. Since stress is a major contributor to depression studies has shown that even inconsequential stress actions can provoke depression. This is seen to entirely depend on personality types. Day to day characteristics such not feeling to eat, not taking part in normal usual chores, mood changes, bad feelings and lose of hope leads to stress that brings about depression which can otherwise be curbed.
According to psychiatrist’s young children (eight years and below) can not exhibit stress related depression since it’s an abstract feeling. On the contrary, the journal of youth and adolescent reports findings displaying early childhood stressors being the reason for premature initiation of depression (Turner & Butler 2003) The most significant periods thou are in puberty where hormonal transformation occurs triggering mood variations. A study carried on high school students showed that, “completed measures of attribution style, hopelessness, negative stressors, general depressive symptoms and specific hypothesized hopelessness stress symptoms increased depressive symptoms” (Hakin, Abramson & Siler 2001). Another known stressor in adolescents is romance. Rizo, Daley and Gunderson showed that romance can cause stress and depression. This was evidenced by a study on 55 school girls where stress related to romance was determined. Sensitivity to romance was established to be the source of stress and depression. Stress, the incapability to recognize problems and immaturity sometimes lead to suicidal cases. Even if research has shown that school exam is associated to stress and suicide in teens it is not known how this influence comes about. This can be due to depression triggering suicidal ideas (Ang & Huan, 2006). In 1997, 15 cases of suicide were reported in India’s New Delhi, all this were related to exam stress. This case prompted the setting up of an NGO with 24 hour hotline services for coping with exam stress. Over 2000 teens called the NGO incredibly 500 were suicidal tendency cases. With this kind of information it’s clear that stress can start successive depressive occurrences and disorder problems (Turner and Burtler 2003).
Psychologists feel that women might not be prone to depression however the societal stress does make them prone. “Another research showed effects of stress on gender by trying to find out exposure and respond to emotions. In the analysis vulnerability together with social embedded ness was determined. The outcome showed women being more subjected to monetary strain and safety concerns in the neighbourhoods (Elliot 2001). Elliot further shows that modern women are burdened with a lot of work which they need to balance both at the work place and at home. This contains stress causing ingredients which eventually lead to depression. Women are expected to take care of the household even after a hard days work. This slowly raises frustrations causing stress which fathers depression.
It is believed that men are not prone to stress as much as women. But psychiatrics feel these are wrong assumptions. While men tend to deny feelings of stress women tend to expose them at the slightest upset. Men can express depression caused by stress through alcoholism or anger, this shows that men feel as much stressed as women. Factors such as tense family relationships, stressful life transition and stress at places of work thrust men into depression.
Signs and symptoms
Signs and symptoms showing stress and depression are like the feeling of hopelessness and helplessness which makes someone feel things will not get better and he or she can not do anything to be better. Irritability and restlessness is another sign that makes one fell agitated or on the edge of destruction. This also makes one’s tolerance to go low with everyone and everything getting on one’s nerves. Loss of interest in normal daily activities usually occurs accompanied by the inability to feel pleasure or joy. Some other manifestations occur as headaches lack of sleep and related disorders (Guidon & Smith 2002). The most serious signs thou are stress and depression related to suicide. They encompass strong expressions of being trapped and display all the indicators of one who wants take away his or her life.
Management
Stress is part of human beings since it is seen in our day to day lives. It is only that it’s over time results can be quite straining. The problem comes when it overwhelms an individual causing depression. If it amounts to depression the following are some of the management measures. Therapies are the most used to curbing all types of depression caused by stress. In addition medical evaluation, prescribed drugs, healing processes such as yogic techniques, energy balancing and naturopathy are effectively and widely used around the world. Guidon and Smith (2002) further showed that “stress subsides when the source is no longer present” which means targeting stress sources is important. They continued by showing the necessity of medical intervention and evaluation.
In teen situations where examination and suicide stress is concerned parents need not criticise there children but instead understand them for not being able to perform well. Access to nature is also seen to absorb stress and some of its effects. Natural factors can be some of the factors that can temporarily protect one from stressful impacts especially adolescents and help in building resilience (Evans 2003).
“The development of working relationships with mental health counsellors, mental health community agencies, and psychiatrists is very helpful since they understand the effectiveness of networking and can apply their expertise to avail desired assistance” (Guidon & Smith 2002).
For suicidal stress or severe depression thou hospitalisation is necessary. In hospitals one spends some time particularly if medication is administered. This is to make sure it works effectively or to determine the side effects. When depressed people are brought back into the society from hospitalization, follow up by health workers needs to be done. This is due to the presence of the factors that contributed to depression; advice from health workers can prevent recurrence (Fu & Parahoo 2009)
Doing things you like most, taking time to relax each day, the setting of goals, stopping usage of drugs and alcohol, attending counselling sessions and most importantly reducing the levels of stress that accompany depression is seen to stem out depression. Another way is the “spending time in contact with the natural environment. Since natural environments are associated with better psychological well being and speedier recovery it can have positive results to stressed individuals” (Evans 2003).
Conclusion
Mind-boggling alterations in profession, transportation modes, culture, rapid life style changes and learning put people through the pressure to alter with equivalent speed. Loss of resiliency is then realised as stress starts to wear them against unfavourable life situations. Consequently they tend to give up on life while giving in to stress, this then breeds depression.
As shown in this paper stress occurs as a result of imbalance amid demand and resources or pressure exceeding a person’s ability to manage. Stress management can help curb depression since it is premised on the fact that it is not a direct reply to a stressor but somewhat a person’s resources and ability to manage its response. People are acquiescent to change, therefore permitting stress that develops into depression to be managed. Stress management require a person to change his or her perception of the stressors and come up with a strategy for management and improving his or her confidence to these pressures. When this is achieved depression can be managed.
References
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Elliott, M., (2000) Gender differences in cases or depression. Department of sociology/300, university of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV DOI:10. 1300/Jo 13V33 h 03-11
Evans G., W. (2003) Environment and Behaviour: A buffer of Life stress among rural children vol 3 no3 Doi:10. 177/oo13916503251445
Fu C-M. S., & Parahoo. K., (2009) Causes of depression: perceptions among people recovering from depression. Journal of Advanced Nursing 65(1), 101–109 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04845.x
Hakin, B. L., Abramson L. y. (2002) & Siler M., A Prospective Test of the Hopelessness Theory of Depression in Adolescence Cognitive Therapy and Research, Vol. 25, No. 5, 2001, pp. 607–632
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Turner, H. A., & Butler M. S., (2003) Direct and Indirect Effects of Childhood Adversity on Depressive Symptoms in Young Adults. Journal of youth and adolescence, vol 32, no.2, pp-89-103