What is Depression?
Depression affects your mood and affects the way you feel, think, and behave.
When a person has depression, it makes you become negative and not make good decisions (Zhang, et al., 2018). According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 34.2% of adults in Texas reported depression compared to 31.6% of adults across the United States (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2022). Over the past three years, adults in Texas, between 18-29, had depression. See Figure 1 below for more information.
When a person has depression, it makes you become negative and not make good decisions (Zhang, et al., 2018). According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 34.2% of adults in Texas reported depression compared to 31.6% of adults across the United States (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2022). Over the past three years, adults in Texas, between 18-29, had depression. See Figure 1 below for more information.
Figure 1
Symptoms |
Causes |
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There are several symptoms of depression. Some symptoms include, but are not limited to:
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The causes of depression are unknown. Depression can be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2022-a). Every individual can have different causes of depression. A person experiencing depression can be linked to using alcohol or drugs, taking certain medications, having a stroke, cancer, or pain for a long period of time, experiencing a major life change, trauma, or stressful events, or having blood relatives that have depression (CDC - a).
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Unfortunately, depression in adults can go
untreated because people don't want to
receive help (Mayo Clinic, 2022).
untreated because people don't want to
receive help (Mayo Clinic, 2022).
Depression in Black women
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According to Black Women's Health Imperative, the percentage of Black women 18 years and older who report feeling sad, hopeless, or worthless is higher than white women (Black Women's Health Imperative, 2017).
Symptoms and causes of depression are the same in Black and non-Black individuals, even when symptoms differ from one person to another, Black people, especially women, might find it difficult to seek help and get treatment for reasons such as, racial barriers, shame, or fear of admitting they need help. Dr. Erica Martin Richards at Johns Hopkins Hospital says depression is “happening at higher rates than most other illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Women are at least twice as likely to experience an episode of major depression as men. Compared to their Caucasian counterparts, African American women are only half as likely to seek help.” (Martin Richards, 2022). View Figure 2 below to see percentages of people suffering from depression categorized by race. Figure 3 below shows the percentages of women and men who suffer from depression from 2017 to 2021. |
Depression is something that more people are talking about. More celebrities are sharing their own experiences with depression and thoughts of suicide. Dr. Erica Martin Richards says, "Recently, several high-profile suicides have initiated conversations about treatment options and the devastating impact of suicide on family and friends left to process their loss. Normalizing this discussion will continue to be a key factor in helping others identify when and how to seek help." (Martin Richards, 2022, para 5). If you are a person struggling with depression, know that you are not alone.
Seasonal Depression and Anxiety. (2019, October 17). [Photo]. Stepping Stones. https://www.steppingstoneslincoln.com/blog/seasonal-depression-and-anxiety
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Figure 2
Adapted from Texas Health Data, (n.d). Behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS) https://healthdata.dshs.texas.gov/dashboard/surveys-and-profiles/behavioral-risk-factor-surveillance-system
Figure 3
Depression Monitoring
Depression affects millions of people, and you must have many visits with your doctor. The 2 main watch tools are population surveys and healthcare surveys which allow professionals to see how often depression occurs, risk factors, and use of mental health services (CDC, 2011). The Behavioral Risk Factor and Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys by state through talking on the phone and receiving information about behaviors, prevention, and access to health care on a large range of topics including mental health (CDC). This helps doctors come up with better solutions to avoid depression. Figure 2 above is an excellent example of data government agencies can collect to figure out how to help us with health issues.
Summary.
Depression affects your brain and anyone can have depression. The symptoms and causes are not the same for each person. Depression in women is more common than in men. Depression is more common in White women, but Black women are not as likely to receive help. It is important to get help so you can get back your mental health. If you, or anyone you know are suffering from depression, know that you are not alone, and there are many ways to get help regardless of your race, age, or gender. Depression is treatable.
Depression affects your brain and anyone can have depression. The symptoms and causes are not the same for each person. Depression in women is more common than in men. Depression is more common in White women, but Black women are not as likely to receive help. It is important to get help so you can get back your mental health. If you, or anyone you know are suffering from depression, know that you are not alone, and there are many ways to get help regardless of your race, age, or gender. Depression is treatable.