Depression: Women's Sadness or High-Prevalence Disorder?

Abstract

Depression is expected to become one of the world's largest health problems by 2020, with women twice as likely as men to receive this diagnosis. While psychiatry focuses on inherited symptoms and brain chemical deficiencies, psychology stresses individual ‘dysfunctional’ thinking styles. These practices have reinforced the development of depression as a high-prevalence disorder resulting in the medicalisation of women's depression. However, is this the only way to understand depression? Women themselves focus on how they have become demoralised by aspects of their lived experience, aspects such as abusive or unsupportive relationships, inadequate housing, financial insecurity and the competing demands of their culturally defined caring roles as women. These are familiar social work issues. Should we understand these women as sick or sad? Women seeking help in dealing with depression often report feeling that they are not listened to or taken seriously by health professionals. In contrast, women who have attended a support group describe feeling accepted and encouraged by the discovery that they are not alone in experiencing these kinds of feelings. The present article examines current ideas about why women may become depressed and then outlines a group work programme focusing on improving women's emotional well-being that was implemented as an alternative response to depression.

Keywords:

• Depression
• Women
• Women's Groups