Mind over Matter: The Unique Components of Womanhood & Depressive Disor

Abstract: As I sat down to begin this re-write, I made sure to do one thing before diving back into the stack of compiled research I had gathered, I took one good deep breath. As I came towards the end of my exhale, I was hit with a realization; there is unwavering power in positive cognitive embrace. And that one statement sums up pretty what this paper is about. Along with conceptualizing the realities of depression and the many frameworks surrounding its existence, the primary goal of this paper is to discover the unique ways in which women can stand up to the symptoms of depressive disorders. The Basics The National Institute of Mental Health (2012) describes depression as a serious illness which also happens to be very prevalent within all populations. Depression doesn’t discriminate in regard to age, race, gender, or socioeconomic status. However through research, a clear distinction has been made, depression is being seen more and more in women as opposed to in men (2012). A number of factors have been accredited with this trend; among them include hormonal, biological, and affective differences (NIMH) in which are exclusive to women, and are not often seen in men. Indicating that there is a difference in how men and women experience depressive disorders is important but is only half the battle when it comes to developing effective and efficient treatments for this sometimes plagiarizing disorder. Current Psychological Research & Statistics Depressive disorders, projected by the World Health Organization to be amongst the leading sources of illness-prompted disabilities in women by the year 2020 (as cited by Tanti & Belzung, 2011); Furthermore it is believed that more than 16% of the American population will experience ... ...033-295X.115.2.291 Kelly, M. M., Tyrka, A. R., Price, L. H., & Carpenter, L. L. (2008). Sex differences in the use of coping strategies: predictors of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Depression & Anxiety (1091-4269), 25(10), 839-846. doi:10.1002/da.20341 National Institute of Mental Health.(nd.) Depression [Brochure]. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-easy-to-read/depression-trifold.pdf Tanti, A., & Belzung, C. (2010). Open questions in current models of antidepressant action. British Journal Of Pharmacology, 159(6), 1187-1200. doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00585.x Mind over Matter 10 Weinberger, A. H., McKee, S. A., & Mazure, C. M. (2010). Inclusion of Women and Gender-Specific Analyses in Randomized Clinical Trials of Treatments for Depression. Journal Of Women's Health (15409996), 19(9), 1727-1732. doi:10.1089/jwh.2009.1784