Running head: DEPRESSION AMONG WOMEN 1
Depression Among Women
Christian Figueroa
Liberty University
DEPRESSION AMONG WOMEN 2
Abstract
Depression is a real illness. It can affect every aspect of life for those who become depressed.
Depression is more common among women than men (Jones, K. (Ed.). 2017). Depression
affects women in different ways, and all women do not experience the same symptoms.
Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Different types of depression exist, and some types of
depression can lead to other forms later on in life. There are signs and symptoms that can help to
determine what level or type of depression a woman is dealing with. Many things can cause
depression, such as genetics, hormones, traumatic events, grief, relationship difficulty, and stress.
Although depression is an illness, it is treatable. The most well-known depression among
women is postpartum depression. Women are more vulnerable to developing postpartum
depression after child birth. Some women may experience postpartum while pregnant and may
even become effected a year after child birth. Like any other depression, postpartum depression
can be treated. Treatment for depression can vary depending on the seriousness of the case.
Counseling women in their depression will take restructuring thoughts and setting goals for
positive outcomes. The Biblical truth that the Word of God brings will be the foundation to
reaching those goals and guiding the process.
Keywords: Depression, counseling, postpartum depression, women
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Depression Among Women
Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that
negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Depression causes feelings
of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of
emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at
home (American Psychiatric Association. (2013). The symptoms that this illness causes can lead
to the diagnosis being undetected and misunderstood. Sometimes having a bad day or week, or
even feeling sad for a while can be labeled as “the blues, however, depression is much more than
these feelings of sadness. Anyone experiencing depression cannot just “snap out” of it. It is not
a sign of weak mindedness, nor is it something a person can just “get over” at will. It is a real
illness, causing emotional life changing experiences that can even lead to death if not properly
treated (Jones, (Ed.). 2017). Not all people experience every symptom of depression, there are
so many to name and effect people in many different ways.
Depression effects every part of life. This illness ruins the daily activities and normal
functioning of a person’s life. Depression is known for the emotional imbalance it brings on
people, feelings of anger, resentment, shame, envy, emptiness, guilt and even suicide (Gilbert,
2007). The emotional effects it may cause can be devasting, causing people to not care about the
things they once enjoyed and found pleasure in. Not only is this illness an infector of emotions
but it can destroy ones physical, and spiritual life as well. Being depressed can cause physical
pain and illnesses. From lack of sleep to over exhaustion, poor dieting to alcohol abuse,
depression can lead to physical ailments (Jones, 2017). Often people have negative attitudes and
unwanted feelings of withdrawal from other people, work, home and social life. These negative
feelings can lead to a lack of repentance and turning away from God. Depressed people often
DEPRESSION AMONG WOMEN 4
think spiritually it is because they have sinned that they feel the way they do, fearing God has
abandon them or as if they can no longer trust in His Word (Tan, & Lyles, 2005. pg. 148).
Knowing depression stems from a person’s mental attitude and self-talk, depression can invade
one’s spiritual beliefs distort the Truth of who they are in Christ, causing a poor quality of life
(Tan, & Lyles, 2005. pg. 150).
Depression is one of the most serious mental disorders in the United States, causing more
risk for other serious conditions such as heart attacks, diabetes, and cancer (Tan & Lyles, 2005.
pg. 145). The National Mental Institute of Health declares, 16.2 million adults in the U.S. with at
least one major depressive episode, and females being (8.5%) compared to males at (4.8%),
totaling 6.7% of all adults in the U.S. as of 2016 (NIMH, 2018). Women experience depression
two times more than men (Ussher, (2011). “Depression is the most prevalent mental health
condition affecting individuals worldwide, estimated to become the second most significant
cause of disease and disability by 2020” (Murray and Lopez, 1996), (Ussher, (2011). Men
experience depression differently than women do. They will often feel tired, irritable and
frustrated, whereas women often feel sad, worthless and guilty (Jones, 2017).
These differences support how both men and women react to the illness. Men will often
become discouraged and angry and turn to drugs and alcohol. They try to avoid the feelings by
over working themselves or even take it out on the family and become abusive rather than
talking about their depression (Jones, 2017). Biological, lifecycle, hormonal, and psychosocial
factors that are unique to women may be linked to their higher depression rate (Jones, 2017).
Women will report their symptoms to seek treatment more likely than men (Ussher, (2011).
Although women attempt suicide more men die of suicide when depressed (Ussher, (2011). Both
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men and women will experience symptoms of depression due to many causes including family
history.
What causes depression
The causes of depression are numerous, and they can be experienced separately or all
together. The basic risk factors for depression include genetics, biology, environmental and
psychological (NIMH, 2018). Studies on beliefs about mental illness have shown that
depression causes can be interpersonal problems ( poor social skills, bad romantic relationships,
mistreatment by others), developmental issues (childhood problems, unresolved issues with one's
family), personality or cognitive causes (irrational concerns, emotional upset, depressive ways of
thinking), biological factors (genetics, biochemical imbalances), and environmental factors
(stress, illness of self or others) plus many more that play a role in major depression (Khalsa,
McCarthy, Sharpless, Barrett, & Barber, 2011).
Interpersonal problems are often those that have to deal with suffering relationships and
lack of communication with people in a women’s life (Gadassi, & Rafaeli, 2015). When a
relationship is failing, a woman will often blame herself and become so full of shame, guilt and
feelings of neglect that she becomes depressed. Genetics and biology have shown that people
with a family history are more prone to become depressed than those who have no family history
of depression (Jones, 2017). Biologically speaking, chemicals in the brain called
neurotransmitters help send messages between nerve cells, and some neurotransmitters regulate
mood. When a person is depressed, these neurotransmitters might be in low supply or not
effective enough, genes and brain chemistry can be connected causing the genes for depression
to make a person more likely to have the neurotransmitter problem that is part of depression
(Jones, 2017). Environmental issues such as poverty, political distress and racism also have a
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role in depression. Social and cultural norms can force women to stress and lead to depression.
Psychologically dealing with trauma and social roles can impact a women’s vulnerability to
depression (Girgus, & Nolen-Hoeksema, (2006). All these causes stem from one root and that is
the mind, or thought process be it biochemically or cognitive. Depression has plagued our minds
since recorded history (Ussher, (2011).
Each individual experiences their own severity of symptoms, depending on the illness.
There are many types of depression. The most common is major depressive disorder, MDD or
known as clinical depression (Jones, 2017). Clinical depression is when one experiences
feelings of anxiety, frustration, and disappointment for more than just a few days, the most
common time to consider the illness is the lasting of more than two weeks of these types of
feelings, lasting for weeks, months and even years (Tan, & Lyles, 2005. pg. 145). This is a mood
disorder that usually creates symptoms of lack of interest, sleepiness, restlessness, change of
appetite, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, fatigue, hopelessness and thoughts of suicide and death.
These are the most common symptoms experienced by a anyone depressed.
Bipolar disorder is another common illness that causes depressive symptoms, only it also
causes the mood to shift abnormally from high to low (Hamilton, & Russo, (2006). Symptoms
known as manic episodes causes one to feel hyper or extremely “high”, these episodes often
bring irritability and racy thoughts. The individual will feel overly self-confident and very
talkative, be easily distracted and participate in negative things without considering the
consequences and then become very sad and depressed not wanting to socialize or do things they
enjoy (Tan, & Lyles, 2005. Pg. 146). The mood swings cause the person to be unreliable and
unstable. Women have their own set of depressive disorders that are unique to their gender
(Leahy, (2007). Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, PMDD is a common disorder among women
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who experience symptoms such as irritability, fatigue, anxiety, moodiness, bloating, increased
appetite, food cravings, aches, and breast tenderness (Somerset, Newport, Ragan, & Stowe,
2006). This disorder takes place anywhere from two weeks before menses begin and can end
with the onset of the menses (Rapkin, & Lewis, 2013).
Post-Partum depression
Another type of depression woman may experience in life is post-partum depression.
This occurs after women give child birth. This illness can be very fatal if not properly treated in
a timely manner. The symptoms of this disorder can be mood swings, feeling irritable, sad,
problems concentrating, crying, inadequacy, and feelings of suicide. These feelings last longer
than thirty days and can last up to a year after the baby is born. Post-partum depression effects
the child as the mother is not able to function properly, this includes inadequate nutrition for
both the mother and child, drug or alcohol abuse, and clinical neglect for both mother and child
(Leigh, & Milgrom, 2008). All these factors will destroy a woman's physical and mental health
and will minimize proper care or restrict the growth and development of the child (Leigh, &
Milgrom, 2008).
Pre-natal depression is a disorder that can occur before the child is born. This usually
happens when the women are pregnant and the symptoms of depression begin as the result of the
pregnancy changing hormones, moods and lifestyle (NIMH, 2018). Most of the time having
symptoms of antenatal depression leads a woman to have post-natal depression. Such symptoms
are low self-esteem, antenatal anxiety, a lack of social support, negative thought process, trauma,
poverty, and history of abuse (Leigh, & Milgrom, 2008). With these symptoms occurring before
the baby is born, the chances of post-natal depression are higher. Antenatal depression is leading
predictor of post-natal depression, which indicates the importance of identifying and treating
antenatal depression (Leigh, & Milgrom, 2008).
Treatment for depression. Depression is a real illness but it is highly treatable (NIMH, 2018).
Knowing what symptoms of depression, a woman is experiencing helps to identify more clearly
what steps she needs to take in order to get treatment that works (Hislop, 2010). The sooner the
treatment can begin the more effective it will be (NIMH, 2018). When determining the illness, a
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physician should always be involved. Depression can often need medication or psychotherapy,
and sometimes both for treatment (APA, 2018).
Before a diagnosis or treatment is planned, a health professional should give the women a
diagnostic evaluation, this should include a physical exam and an interview of personal questions
to determine her cognitive process (American Psychiatric Association. (2013). In some cases, a
blood test might be done to make sure the depression is not due to a medical condition like a
thyroid problem (NIMH, 2018). If the cause is from brain chemistry, antidepressants are often
used to reduce the symptoms (American Psychiatric Association. (2013). The medication
prescribed will be depending on the severity of the illness. The doctor usually suggests to take
the medication for at least six months for maximum results (NIMH, 2018).
Psychotherapy, known as “talk therapy” is helpful to a depressed woman experiencing
mild depressive symptoms. If the depression is more severe then antidepressants and
psychotherapy can be used together (American Psychiatric Association. (2013). One of the most
known talk therapies found to have major results in helping fight depression is cognitive
behavioral therapy, known as CBT (American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Cognitive
behavioral therapy is is a treatment process that helps women to reconstruct negative self-beliefs
that lead to abnormal moods and behaviors. The basic thought process is that a thought comes
before a mood, so learning to replace positive thoughts for negative thoughts will improve a
person’s mood, self-concept, behavior, and physical state. Studies have shown that CBT is an
effective treatment for depression and can be compared to the effectiveness of antidepressants as
well as other psychodynamic treatments. CBT is also known to be helpful and more useful when
depression is not responding well to antidepressants. Studies have also shown great evidence of
CBT decreasing relapse rates in patients with depression (Rupke, Blecke, & Renfrow, 2006).
DEPRESSION AMONG WOMEN 9
Depression is distorted thoughts and beliefs and correcting those beliefs with positive, true
thoughts is a sure way of healing and fighting the illness.
There are also self-help ways to fight depression. Physical exercise and an emotional
recharge can boost typically feelings from depression like stomachaches, bowel irritations,
headaches, and feelings of lethargy (Hislop, 2010). There has been reports showing that a
sedentary lifestyle and depression have a strong association (Hislop, 2010). Getting adequate
exercise, eating healthy, getting enough sleep and abstaining from drugs and alcohol is important
for fighting depression (NIMH, 2018). Women with depression should be surrounded by
supportive people that will encourage and motivate her in a very positive way, this will help set
goals and be accountable for achieving the best plan for curing depression (NIMH, 2018). With
a strong support system and a therapy application, depression can be fought with victory.
Biblical truth about depression.
While depression can be a medical problem, it can also be a spiritual problem. Depression often
gets mislabeled as anxiety or some other mood disorder (Tan, & Lyles, 2005. pg. 145). The
Bible talks about having anxiety and negative thoughts that bring about destructive moods and
behaviors. (Philippians 4:6) When people become distressed they tend to turn to religious
resources, demonstrating hope in reducing the anxiety and depressive symptoms they experience
(Tulbure, Andersson, Sălăgean, Pearce, & Koenig, 2018). Studies show that people who are
religious and go through a religious cognitive behavioral therapy program, tend to have
significantly lower levels of depression and adjustment scores when they enter a post-
intervention, compared to individuals who are receiving non-religious cognitive behavioral
therapy (Tulbure, Andersson, Sălăgean, Pearce, & Koenig, 2018). In essence, a spiritual
problem can only be solved by a spiritual healing. When trying to help a depressed woman it is
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important to consider her mind, body and spiritual components (Hislop, 2010). When a woman
is depressed it becomes very hard to see things in a positive light or not have negative self-
reflection’s that destroy her self-esteem and relationships with others (Tan, & Lyles, 2005. pg.
149). Replacing those negative feelings with the positive Truth God reveals in His Word, will
bring back hope and a sense of security the women needs to begin her battle against depression.
God wants to be that source of every healing or change of thought and heart needed by
anyone seeking after it. Depression is no match for God, He will be the one true healer once a
person decides that His Word is Truth and the lies that are distorting their mind has to go.
Elijah went through a period of depression when he became afraid and ran to a cave and wanted
to die. (1 Kings 19:4). Trauma and stress in life can have such a negative way of changing our
thoughts and beliefs. Even though Elijah was a mighty man of God, the struggles he faced
almost won him over by distorting the Truth within his mind (1 Kings 17:24). The one thing that
kept Elijah going was the presence of God. God showed up and gave Elijah everything he
needed at that time. He went to sleep praying for his life to end and woke up to the Lord
providing food, company by the angels so he wouldn’t fell lonely and allowed him to rest
peacefully to gain strength to go on another day (1 Kings 19:6-8). God will always provide for
us the things we need in life if we only ask and allow Him into our hearts and minds.
The Bible reminds women about who they are in Christ. How the way one thinks is the
way one will behave. (Proverbs 23:7) This is important to remember when facing depression,
the Bible teaches that a person’s thoughts controls their actions. Romans 12:2 explains how
women can change those negative thoughts that keep her from living a depressed free life.
Renewing the mind with the Word of God will successfully fight depression.
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When considering counseling a woman who is fighting depression, one must be able to
understand what the women is feeling, how she is thinking and what her actions are towards her
thoughts. This process will better help determine what steps are need to plan action against the
depression. Women already face so many different stressors in life as it is, being vulnerable in a
state of depression only makes her self-esteem worse and her more afraid of life. As a counselor
one should teach the client to use her mind to change her mind. Some key scriptures to have the
client meditate on to begin the healing can be, all people are created in the image of God,
(Genesis 1:27) all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23) and He gave His
one and only Son to die for us so that we might live eternity with Him (1 John 4:9). These few
versus can have divine revelation for someone suffering from depression. Renewing their mind
is the key to taking their life back.
Women must see themselves as God sees them, by doing that they will begin to
understand His grace and love he Has for them (Moore, Briscoe, Wilson, Hart, Hager, Wells, &
LaHaye, 2004). Once they realize noting can separate them from the love of God, they can find
a new hope in their life that will be like no other. Taking negative thoughts captive one by one is
a reliable, dependable and authoritative way to sufficiently develop a more positive cognitive
thought process (Clinton, & Ohlschlager, 2002). The Lord says cast our cares on him and he will
care for us (1 Peter 5:7). Our minds can be the playground to the devil, with his evil plots to take
over our thoughts and to distort the Truth. Just as depression starts in our minds, so does the lies
the enemy wants us to believe. Anyone with depression has the power to take back their life by
using the Word of God. God has giving people a spirit of love, power and self-discipline, not of
fear and timidity (2 timothy 1:7). Depression can be ended by realizing the battle is in the mind
ue
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and the only way to conquer the enemy is to take back their thoughts, using the Truth that God
has giving us to replace the lies that keep them in bondage. (Isaiah 41:10).
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