Depression is a serious medical illness that involves the brain. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely “pull themselves together” and get better. Scientists recently have made discoveries about links between people with depression and factors relating their life.
Link between Pregnancy and Eating Disorders, Abuse Histories
One in 10 women experience depression during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth but little is known about the causes or early-warning signs of pregnancy-related depression. According to new research from University of North Carolina, having a history of eating disorders or abuse may increase a woman’s risk for developing depression during and after pregnancy.
Link Between Mothers with Depression And Their Children Until Age 16
Children of depressed mothers are more likely to develop mental health problems, Recently British researchers discovered that children of postnatally depressed mothers were at substantially increased risk for depression. In fact, offspring’s rate of depression by age 16 was more than 40%, with the average age of first onset of depression at age 14. In addition, lower child ego resilience, measured at years 5 and 8, were associated with the increased risk of depression. Making sure mothers struggling with mental health issues receive adequate assessment and treatment is critical to protect their children afterward.
Possible Link Between Depression and Perceived Racism, Sleep Problems and Poor Health
Perceived racial discrimination is associated with an increased risk of sleep disturbance, which may have a negative impact on mental and physical health. A recent study of researchers from University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, US. shows that perceived racism was associated with an elevated risk of self-reported sleep disturbance, which was increased by 61 percent after adjusting for socioeconomic factors and symptoms of depression.
The results suggest that sleep may be an important pathway linking discrimination with health problems. Individuals who perceived racial discrimination were more likely to experience sleep difficulties, and it did not matter if they were Black or White, men or women, rich or poor, or even if they were otherwise depressed or not, since these were adjusted for in the statistical analysis.