Introduction
Generally, everyone becomes sad when going through difficult times in life. It is often common for the individual to forget the sadness after some time. However, depression is more than just sadness. Unlike sadness, it does not just go away with time. By definition, it is a mental disorder that can severely affect one’s thinking, feelings, going about daily activities such as sleep, interaction with other people, working and even eating. It can also be manifested in physical symptoms such as aches or pains, headaches, cramps and digestive problems. Current research reveals that it is brought on by a confluence of genetic, biochemical, environmental, and psychological variables (Cybulska et al., 2020). However, further research is ongoing to identify the specific causes of dejection in different populations. Treatment is typically necessary for depressed persons to feel better. By understand the aspect of unhappiness among the young women; it will be easier for the healthcare institutions to formulate effective and appropriate approaches to reduce the menace in the society.
Currently, depression is more common in women than men. Researchers base this on factors such as biological, hormonal, and social variables unique to women. These include fluctuating hormonal levels, pregnancy and labor, menstruation, menopause, and side effects of birth control or hormonal. According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) (2022), one out of ten women (10%) in the United States experienced or had symptoms of depression-related illness in 2022. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) show that among adults who report depression, women are the majority. They are twice more likely to face depression (10.4%) as compared to men (5.5%) (CDC, 2022). The high prevalence of dejection among women is also evidenced in the high number of women who use antidepressants. According to reports from CDC (2018), a higher number of women (17.7%) used antidepressants than men (8.4%). The high rate is an international concern which needs to be addressed urgently.
The symptoms of depression among women are more difficult to observes since they involved internalizing factors while men are presented more with externalizing ones. For instance, women show greater sensitivity to interpersonal relationships, whereas men show greater sensitivity to external factors such as career and goal-oriented factors. It has been proven that dejection affects women differently compared to their male counterparts. Women are more likely than men to experience specific types of depression-related illnesses, such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postpartum, and post-menopausal depression and anxiety. Postpartum disorder is a type of mental disorder that a woman may experience after childbirth and can continue for a long time (Wang et al., 2021). The premenstrual dysphoric disorder involves physical and psychological symptoms and happens during the luteal phase of a menstrual cycle. Statistics show that it affects 20 -40% of women experiencing menstruation (Itriyeva, 2022). On the other hand, post-menopausal depression occurs among women who are in their menopause age and can result in personal, family and economic burdens. Though the fundamental processes are still unknown, no medications specifically for women have been created.
Current Knowledge on the Topic
The main type of depression among the middled aged women is post-menopausal depression. Cybulska et al. (2020) conducted a study to elaborate on the cause of depression among women and the depressive symptoms among middle-aged women. The study noted that the menopause period is characterized by different hormonal changes among women depending on the genotypes of an individual. During this period, the woman’s body experiences a decline in estrogen levels which causes depressive symptoms and results in mood disorders. According to the results of the study, women with depressive symptoms had the dominant 3/4 genotype more frequently. At the same time, those who had the overdominant 3/3 + 4/4 genotype of the MAO-A gene polymorphism were less likely to experience depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the gravity of the depressive symptoms is influenced majorly by the stage of menopause. Several studies prove that women do not experience depression during the pre-menopausal phase; the stage with the most severe is the perimenopause stage.
The onset of menopause may result in cognitive problems such as memory loss which can lead to depression. Prakapenka and Bimonte-Nelson (2018) studied the relationship between menopause and memory. The study identified that there are two types of menopause, artificial and natural. Artificial menopause involves the removal of the reproductive system of a woman through surgery, while the latter happens through a natural and transitional process as a result of age. However, both processes are marked by a decrease in the ovarian-deprived circulating hormones. These hormones play an important role in supporting the reproductive system and other bodily functions, such as brain-controlled roles, for example, cognition (Prakapenka & Bimonte-Nelson, 2018). Therefore, menopause might have adverse effects on memory and learning. These impairments, as a result of menopause, may cause depressive symptoms among middle-aged women. These are evidenced in the reduction of the level of self-confidence, persistent sad and empty moods, reduced pleasure in some activities and work and feelings of guilt and worthlessness.
Estrogens and progestogens may have an effect on learning, memory, and associated brain substrates. There are still significant gaps in this field’s understanding of the ideal hormone milieu parameters that have reliable and predictable positive effects on the brain and cognitive function. Each woman has already lived a life by the time decisions need to be made on menopausal trajectory and hormone therapy; hence it is challenging to forecast the effect of hormone therapy on brain health as women age (Prakapenka & Bimonte-Nelson, 2018). A detailed timeline of hormone exposures, both endogenous and exogenous, has probably been a part of life’s likely rich and complicated past.
The conclusion of the menstrual cycle is associated with a range of physiological changes and symptoms that can have a negative influence on emotion and mood amongst women. Research by Barghandan et al. (2021), examined whether demography and body composition are connected to the menopause, depression and anxiety. The research findings showed that women who are below 50 years and engage in moderate to vigorous physical activities were less likely to report mild and moderate depression as compared to those above 55 years of age and engaged in less vigorous physical body exercises. Compared to those with mild physical activity, women who engaged in moderate to severe physical activity had a decreased likelihood of experiencing medium-level, moderately severe, and severe trait anxiety. Menopause-related symptoms and trait anxiety symptoms were more severe in women with greater body mass index (BMI) and body fat mass (BFM). Less lean body mass (LBM) in women was associated with more severe depression symptoms.
Mental health disorder among females is also caused by other biological and genetic factors. Naufel et al. (2019) did research to examine if depression and anxiety symptoms in midlife women are related to anthropometric, metabolic, and hormonal factors, as well as the effects of menopause and post-menopausal phases on these symptoms. According to the findings, when compared to similarly obese pre-menopausal women, post-menopausal women displayed worse body composition, energy expenditure, insulin sensitivity, and depressive symptoms. These symptoms were more significantly correlated with age and leptin levels than with actual reproductive aging among all the overweight middle-aged women. According to the results, aging and the emergence of leptin resistance are linked to a decline in mental health in overweight, middle-aged women with abdominal obesity.
Depression has led to high suicidal cases among middle-aged women in menopause. An et al. (2022) conducted research to investigate depressive symptoms and the rate of suicides among females in their menopausal stage. According to the study, the prevalence of anxiety signs and suicidal thoughts rises as menopause progresses, even before menopause. The symptoms and suicidality were substantially connected with menopausal phases in this extensive research of middle-aged Korean women, and they began to rise from the early transition period. After taking into account potential confounders, this correlation remained significant. The findings show that there is a specific period where women in mid-life transition may experience suicidal thoughts.
The study further identified that the chance of developing depressive symptoms during the menopausal transition increases substantially, especially in the latter stages. However, it noted that growing age does not explain the relationships with advancing menopausal phases. The data indicate that post-menopausal women had a greater prevalence of depressive symptoms than women in the menopausal transition. Furthermore, the research suggested that low levels of estrogen and progesterone are likely to be seen in menopausal and amenorrheic women, and suicide attempts among these women are more severe (An et al., 2022). Lastly, the research pointed out that alcohol abuse is another significant cause of depression and high levels of suicides among middle-aged women in Korea. However, the study does not provide enough data to support this claim and bases its argument on claims from previous studies.
Debates on the Topic
Currently, there three areas of discussions on the causes of depression and the best ways of treatment of the disorder among the middle-aged women. Firstly, there is debate about whether women are facing a unique set of challenges in managing work-life balance, and if so, how they can be supported. Some scientists believe that work-life balance is one of the main contributors to the high prevalence of depression among females in their midlife. Many middle-aged women are balancing demanding careers and caring for their families, leading to stress and burnout. In the United States, majority of the married women (48%) report doing more household chores than their husbands despite both of them being employed (Pew Research Centre, 2021). On the contrary, 46% of married men say they equally share household responsibilities (Pew Research Centre, 2021). Therefore, it is not yet clear whether mid-life women are more affected by work-life balance.
Secondly, mid-life is a major transition period in both men and women. Some scholars argue that the changes are more in women and can easily result to anxiety and mental disorder (Vijayvargiya, 2020). It is marked by significant transitions such as caring for aging parents, adjusting to empty nest syndrome, and retirement planning. However, men are also experiencing the midlife crisis resulting from financial insecurity, nest syndrome, decline in testosterone levels and fear of death (Infurna et al., 2019). Lastly, there are discussions about the most effective treatment options for anxiety and stress in middle-aged women, including psychotherapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Some experts contend that a mix of strategies is required for the best results, while others feel that a single strategy is the most effective (Muttoni et al., 2019). These debates highlight the need for ongoing research and discussion about depression in middle-aged women, and the importance of addressing this issue in order to improve the mental health and well-being of this population.
Research Gaps and Question
Generally, many studies have focused more on mental disorders in young women between the ages of 14 and 25 years and older women (over 60 years). There are very few studies that have explored the concept of anxiety among middle-aged females. According to Cybulska et al. (2020), the prevalence of depression among middle-aged women is 20-30%. This means that for every ten middle-aged women, two to three of them are suffering from a mental disorder. This is a significant number; therefore, this research focuses on the causes and effects of depression among middle-aged women.
In addition, few studies on this topic have only examined depression among middle-aged women from a biological point of view. The researchers have mainly attributed anxiety among mid-life women to menopause. Some researchers agree that menopause is the leading cause, while others have found no relationship between the two. This ambiguity calls for further research into the leading cause of this type of mental health problem among middle-aged females. Therefore, there are notable gaps which exist in the current knowledge about the topic. These include;
- The social causes of depression among the middle-aged women
- The psychological causes of mental disorder among the females between the ages of 40 and 60 years.
- Ways on how to minimize the prevalence of anxiety among the age group.
In reference to the gaps above, the main study question of this research will be; what are the main social and psychological causes of depression among the middle-aged women?
Objectives of the Study
The main objectives of this study include the following;
- To identify the social causes of mental disorders among middle-aged women.
- To examine the psychological factors which increase the prevalence of depression among the study population.
- To outline ways of minimizing and preventing the disorder resulting from social and psychological factors among mid-life women.
Methodology
The study’s design will be firmly founded on an examination of the social and psychological causes of depression among middle-aged women. It will be crucial to specifying the suggested hypothesis, variables, and research techniques once the concept of the actual investigation has been loosely sketched out. Through a qualitative and quantitative approach, the prevalence of depression symptoms and their effects among middle-aged women will be studied.
A chosen set of participants will respond to closed-ended questions from a questionnaire as part of the quantitative approach. A group of volunteers, all between the ages of 40 and 60, will be asked to respond to questions on their psychological health. For instance, if the applicants are oversleeping, having trouble going to sleep, or waking up early will be assessed. The study will also look at other depression symptoms, including losing interest in or enjoyment from hobbies and activities, feeling guilty, helpless, or worthless, having less energy or tiredness, and experiencing depressing feelings like hopelessness, pessimism, or rage. The group will also be asked to respond to generic questions regarding their daily tasks, their duties, and any unpleasant experiences and cultural practices that they feel are likely to result in depression in their lives. This set of surveys is supposed to indicate if psychological and social factors are among the contributing reasons for depression among middle-aged women.
In the qualitative approach, some of the participants will be interviewed, where they will be asked to give open responses to specific questions to understand their take on some of the social and psychological factors which contribute to depression among middle-aged women. To determine whether they perceive a difference between their psychological well-being prior to entering the menopausal stage and their present mental health following the stage, an interview will be conducted with them. The individuals will be questioned to determine whether they believe that the biological changes that their bodies go through throughout the menopausal period are actually having an impact on their current mental state. Additionally, this inquiry will aim at determining whether they have displayed any depressed symptoms while going through menopause.
Therefore, the variables for the study will comprise the independent variables, which will include the associations between the participants’ psychological well-being, their depressive symptoms, and the depressive social and psychological factors. To be more precise, these factors will be assessed during the aforementioned service along with a simulation to show the connection between the dependent variable—the social and psychological causes—and the independent variables.
The principal techniques for assessing the quantitative data in the study will be descriptive and inferential analysis. Initially, the researchers would use descriptive statistics like mean, median, range, standard deviation, mode, percentage, and frequency of data distribution to produce and analyze their data. On the other hand, the inferential analysis will aid in determining the connections between the study’s many dependent and independent variables. When examining the relationship between the research variables, correlational, regression, and variance analysis will be crucial. Due to the collection and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data, the study measurements will be ordinal, nominal, discrete, and continuous. In this instance, the research will use mixed and whole numbers, fractions, and decimals to describe the traits of the research variables. Similarly, the analysis will use the variables’ non-numerical descriptions to set them apart from one another.
Significance of the Study
This research is essential for understanding depression in middle-aged women, whose mental health issues are frequently disregarded. The number of middle-aged women suffering from mental health issues has increased, yet they are rarely given the treatment they need. The majority of research in this field focused on the connection between middle-aged women’s menopause and anxiety, which is analyzing the link from a biological perspective. In addition, they don’t provide adequate solutions on how the high rate of depression among middle-aged women can be reduced or prevented. However, this study will evaluate the typical social and psychological causes of mental health problems among middle-aged women and how to mitigate them.
Conclusion
In general, depression among middle-aged women has been on the rise. However, researchers have not given it the attention it deserves. The few studies that exist on the topic only focus on the biological causes of mental health, that is, the relationship between menopause and sadness. Most of the studies have not found a direct relationship between menopause and the increasing rate of anxiety among middle-aged women. Therefore, this research will focus on investigating the social and psychological causes of depression among the age group.
References
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Barghandan, N., Dolatkhah, N., Eslamian, F., Ghafarifar, N., & Hashemian, M. (2021). Association of depression, anxiety and menopausal-related symptoms with demographic, anthropometric and body composition indices in healthy post-menopausal women. BMC Women’s Health, 21(1), 1-12. Web.
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