Depression In Early Adulthood

Depression affects people of all ages but its onset starts at age 12. However, not all individuals who are depressed experience every symptom since some people experience more symptoms than others. Some people experience only a few symptoms. The severity and frequency of symptoms vary depending on an individual or the stage of the illness. In children, both boys and girls are affected equally before puberty. Such children may show behavior, such as worry that a parent may die, refuse to go to school, mood swings, or may pretend to be sick.
In older people, the problem may portray different and less obvious symptoms. However, in women, the problem may be characterized by guilt, worthlessness, and symptoms of sadness. The rate of depression is high in women due to the differences in psychosocial, hormonal, lifecycle, and biological factors that are unique …show more content…
An individual would also experience difficulties in sleeping, oversleeping or early-morning awakening, decreased energy, fatigue, memory problems, and loss of interest or pleasure in activities and hobbies. Other symptoms include feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, persistent sadness or moods, pessimism. Experiencing either of these symptoms for two weeks would signify the onset of depression.
Epidemiology
From studies, socio-demographic factors play an integral role in the increased prevalence of major depressive disorder. These factors include the female sex, being disabled, unemployed, having a low income, being never or previously married, or being middle-aged. In the United States, the risk of an individual getting depressed increased if one was Caucasian than being black, Hispanic, or Asian. Moreover, the prevalence of the disorder among adults is 16.2 percent with the 12-month prevalence being 6.6