A search for meaning: Making sense of depression

Abstract

This paper describes a qualitative, in-depth interview study which investigates what is subjectively experienced as depression and whether individuals themselves define their experiences as depression. Participants were medically diagnosed as depressed or described themselves as depressed. Theoretically the research draws upon symbolic interactionism and social constructionism, within which is developed a qualitative methodology, incorporating grounded theory and discourse analytic techniques. Themes which emerged from the analysis of accounts include: the identification of a problem of depression through the diagnosis; the need to explain depression; the search for meaning; and individuals' explanations for their experiences of depression. Participants developed explanatory frameworks for their experiences of depression, through which depression was constructed as a problem located in the individual or explained with reference to the individual's particular social circumstances. Based on the data analysis it is argued that the experience of depression and the meaning of the diagnosis of depression vary across individuals. In contrast to the predominant clinical model of depression, where depression is defined in terms of symptoms, the data analysed in this research shows that depression is a complex experience which has meaning for individuals. Therefore, the research has implications for how health professionals communicate with patients about depression and suggests that they should consider the implications for their patients of identifying a problem as depression.