By Maria Famakinwa
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Depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest in everyday life. It does not discriminate against gender, background or age. Anyone can experience depression but studies revealed that twice as many women as men experience depression.
Feeling depressed can impact one’s overall quality of life and ability to get through the day. Some of the consistent signs of depression include feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness, angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much, among others. The Hope spoke with some individuals who explained why women are more prone to depression.
A psychologist, Adebimpe Akinlaja, explained that women are more prone to depression due to factors like stress, pregnancy, rape and physical abuse, among others, which often affect their mood. According to her, dramatic hormonal changes occur during pregnancy, and these can affect mood. Other issues also may increase the risk of developing depression during pregnancy or during attempts to become pregnant.
Her words: “ Women who were emotionally, physically or sexually abused as children or adults are more likely to experience depression at some point in their lives than those who weren’t abused. Women are more likely than men to experience sexual abuse. Some women with depression also have some form of unhealthy substance use or dependence. Substance misuse can worsen depression and make it harder to treat.”
A medical practioner, Omowumi Osuji, explained that women are more prone to depression due to increased prevalence of hormonal changes in them, particularly during puberty, prior to menstruation. “pregnancy and perimenopause suggest that female hormonal fluctuations may be a trigger for depression.
“Depression can occur at any age and for a variety of reasons. A family history of the disorder can make one more prone. However, women are particularly vulnerable during times of hormonal fluctuations, typically between the beginning of puberty and menopause. Hormones such as estrogen and progesterone affect serotonin, a chemical messenger that encourages feelings of well-being. When hormone levels drop, serotonin levels decrease and this affects the mood.”
Osuji, listed some signs of depression to include loss of interest in things you once enjoyed, significant changes in your sleep pattern, such as trouble falling or staying asleep or sleeping too much, fatigue or unexplained pain or other physical symptoms without an apparent cause, problems concentrating or remembering things, changes in appetite leading to significant weight loss or weight gain, feeling as though life isn’t worth living, or having thoughts of suicide, advised that anyone with these feelings should seek urgent help from primary healthcare provider or one’s family doctor.
She said: “Although depression might seem overwhelming, there is effective treatment. Even severe depression can be successfully treated. Seek help if you have any sign and symptom of depression,” she said.
A nurse, who once suffered depression, Mrs Aina Balogun, explained that in most cases, depression doesn’t have a single cause. Instead, it results from a mix of things ranging from your genes to events in your past, your current circumstances, and more.
She said: “Trauma, such as violence or physical or emotional abuse, whether it’s early in life or more recent, can trigger depression in people who are biologically vulnerable to it. Grief after the death of a friend or loved one is a normal emotion, but like all forms of loss, it can sometimes lead to clinical depression. So, one must seek medical help urgently.”
The woman who disclosed that she became depressed years ago, after she lost a very dear brother and it took her a while before she could get over it, said“ losing a loved one can trigger intense feelings of grief, just like what I experienced years back. For some people, this grief can lead to depression or make underlying depression worse.
“It is normal to grieve and feel sad after a loss, but prolonged feelings of sadness and hopelessness could mean that you have depression. Whether you’re experiencing grief or depression or both, there are many approaches that can help you heal with time. Also, some women are depressed due to poverty. That is why some who could not cope committed suicide. Improving the country’s economic situation will go a long way to address depression and reduce suicidal thought,” she said.
An educationist, Mr Oluyomi Fadahunsi, who described depression as a significant public health problem with millions of Nigerians suffering from it, maintained that it would be difficult to solve due to the current economic situation in Nigeria.
Fadahunsi, though agreed that women are more prone to depression, however, maintained that every Nigerian is depressed one way or the other. “With the high poverty rate in the country, and the difficulties faced by Nigerians every day, it is likely that the prevalence of depression among Nigerians will continue to increase. Don’t see me as a prophet of doom because I am saying the obvious.
“Women are more prone to depression because they are most vulnerable and naïve, but I can tell you that as things are today, every Nigerian is depressed. That is why the reported cases of people who slumped and died are on the rise, and it will continue unless our leaders take drastic steps to address the unbearable situation of the country.
Look at the stress citizens are going through to meet the deadline for new naira notes and collection of PVCs. Majority of graduates roam about looking for unavailable white collar jobs, the artisans are not finding things easy as well, due to the failure of BEDC to give us regular electricity.
Insecurity has become the order of the day as kidnapers prey on innocent people capitalising on the poor security architecture of the country. Those who are freed after payment of ransoms celebrated because many were killed despite paying ransoms. All these are the pointer to a country whose citizens are depressed. That is why I believed that all Nigerians are depressed and our President must act fact because depression mostly leads to suicide,” he warned.
