Depression in Human development and Society

Depression in Human Development and Society

According to Aetna InteliHealth (2011) states “You are a product of the interaction between your biology and the environment you grew up in” (p. 1). Depression is a mental condition that affects people for different reasons, and in different ways. In modern society depression has become so widespread that it is almost considered a designer illness, and has gained a level of societal acceptance as somewhat normal in some modern cultures. Depression is an illness that does not discriminate on age or gender. The condition can affect both children and adults, or men and women equally, but it does appear more frequently in specific age and gender groups. Individual personality, moods, and reactions to various interactions throughout life are based on biological, psychological, and societal roots (Aetna InteliHealth, 2011).

Research on the multiple dimensions of personality are a major focus of research psychologists, and numerous studies have produced data that shows personality traits remain fairly consistent over an individual’s lifespan (Aetna InteiliHealth, 2011). Although this indicates that genetic and biological factors are a strong influence, environmental factors also have significant influence on how a person perceives as his or her inner-self, and how the person will react to societal interactions (Aetna InteliHealth, 2011). British psychologist John Bowlby (1907-1990) studied the interaction between biology and environment. His celebrated works demonstrated the individual need of affection and guidance is balanced by equality of adventure and independence (Aetna InteliHealth, 2011).

Human Development Factors

Human development is an important aspect of any individual’s mental well-being. A child raised in a loving, supportive, and encouraging home is more likely to display a better ability to adapt to situations, both environmental and psychological, in adulthood. Children learn the home-life influences that will influence how they develop. Some children are more likely to seek experiences that are comforting, whereas others may seek experiences that provide more invigoration, and excitement (Aetna InteliHealth, 2011). In contrast to children raised in more desirable environments, children  raised in environmental conditions considered hard or hostile are more likely to develop deficiencies in adapting to opportunities and stressors in life (Aetna InteliHealth, 2011). Depression is just one of the negative outcomes for people raised in environments in which alcoholism, mental and physical abuse, and neglect are prominent (Aetna InteilHealth, 2011). Experiences like loss in childhood, the death of a family member, a personal tragedy like molestation, and other mental or physical traumas are recognized as precursors to an individual’s susceptibility to depression.

Socialization Factors

Socialization is an area of study that focuses on the social effects on depression in both adults and children; however, more studies have been performed on socialization effects on adults than adolescents and children (Conway, Rancourt, Adelman, Burk, & Prinstein, 2011). Using well  established models of cognitive-interpersonal influences on depression, researchers have placed emphasis on understanding the developmental variations of social processes related to the onset and maintenance of depression (Conway, Rancourt, Adelman, Burk, & Prinstein, 2011). Data from this research suggests that the transition from childhood to adolescence presents concern of vulnerability to contexts of depression; this is noted as being more prevalent in girls than boys. According to Conway, Rancourt, Adelman, Burk, and Prinstein (2011) “Depression socialization initially was documents in the adult clinical literature, with much of the relevant research deriving from J.C. Coyne’s 1976 interpersonal theory of depression” (p. 1). Continued studies focused on the depression socialization hypothesis in naturalistic context are designed to examine the intergenerational transmission of depression, and have produced data that indicates a temporal association between diagnosis of depression in mothers and their children (Conway, Rancourt, Adelman, Burk, & Prinstein, 2011).

Although there has been much research of depression socialization in adults, studies examining socialization of depression in adolescents and young children has been somewhat overlooked, even with the large amount of data from clinical research on developmental influences on children (Conway, Rancourt, Adelman, Burk, & Prinstein, 2011). The study performed by Conway, Rancourt, Adelman, Burk, and Prinstein was performed to examine and identify to connection of an individual’s depression to specific friendship groups, and average levels of depressive symptoms within the group. This study surmised that the average levels of depression socialization effects in a peer group could be used as a predictor for an individual’s depression symptoms over time (Conway, Rancourt, Adelman, Burk, & Prinstein, 2011). The study found that peer influence, and individual position within the group could determine the strength of depression socialization, and the effects were more prevalent in adolescents within the group that had lower friendship nominations from other group members (Conway, Rancourt, Adelman, Burk, & Prinstein, 2011).

Conclusion

Depression is a condition that affects people on a non-discriminatory level. It is a condition influenced by biological, and social factors an individual experiences throughout his or her lifetime. Two major influences on depression are human development that include experiences in childhood, and socialization factors that include how depression relates to various peer groups. Although considerable data shows that females are more prone to depression than males, it does not reduce the seriousness of symptoms related to depression. Studies indicate that early development, combined with biological factors play a major role in predicting depression at various stages of an individual’s life. Taking into account studies that show socialization influences also helps provide predictors for depression. Accounting for the variables of biological, developmental, and environmental allows researchers to develop new methods of diagnosing and treating depression in people spanning all age brackets.

References

Aetna InteliHelath. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8596/35215/362810.html?d=dmtContent

Conway, C. C., Rancourt, D., Adelman, C. B., Burk, W. J., & Prinstein, M. J. (2011, August 15).            

Depression Socialization Within Friendship Groups at the Transition to Adolescence: The Roles of Gender and Group Centrality as Moderators of Peer Influence. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0024779