Global Year of Depression
Posted by: Uticopa in mental health, depression on Jul 22, 2008
For the first time ever, consistent global research has suggested that it is during our mid-life years that we are most vulnerable to depression. The University of Warwick in the UK and Dartmouth College in the US surveyed two million people from eighty countries in a recent study, and a clear pattern emerged to suggest that the age at which we are most likely to become depressed is 44 years old
This shows very different results to previous studies, which suggested that depression was not age-related and had an even chance of happening at any time in our lives. This latest study clearly shows a marked increase in probability of the condition whilst in your mid 40s. The other fact of note is that depression does not care where you live, whether you are rich or poor, married or single, with or without children Depression can affect us all.
Though we understand very little about why some people bounce back and others sink into a depression, the researchers have a few theories. One such theory is that whilst in our 40s we subconsciously re-evaluate our lives and shed any long-held dreams of potential that we can no longer see as a possibility at this time in our lives, and this loss of dreams and aspirations could trigger strong emotions in us.
Depression is a very serious issue. Many, many people suffer to varying degrees from this condition and far too often they do so in silence, either denying their emotions or hoping that it will just go away with time. As it can often be a progressive condition, it is so important that if you suspect you might be suffering from depression then you should put your worries and preconceptions to one side and speak to a professional about it.
If you agree or disagree with the research talked about above, we'd be very interested to hear any comments you may have on the subject. To discover more about depression you can visit our website, and to find someone to talk to about your worries about depression click here. We have compiled a list of professionals that you might find useful.
