Depression, a mental disorder approximated to affect more than 350 million people globally, is both a cause and consequence of many health risks. It is a serious yet common medical illness that negatively influences someone's feelings, thoughts, and, consequently, actions. These effects tend to get chronic or recurrent with time and need to be dealt with before they ultimately cause disability to the victims. Although men are more likely to die from depression as compared to women, depression burden is 50% greater for females than males (Huang et al., 2017). This is heightened by certain biological, hormonal, and social factors that are unique to women, thus, making them more susceptible to depressors. Moreover, most women do not acknowledge the acuity of depression and its associated complications. It is in recognition of the need for the development of treatment regimens for depression in women that herein a health protium plan is proposed.
The complexity of women’s roles in society, their reproductive hormonal composition, and gender injustices are some of the significant causes of depression in women. Some of the few forms of depression specific to women include premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), perinatal depression, perimenopausal depression, postpartum disorder, and antenatal depression. Koskie (2019) acknowledges that 80% of new mothers will experience some form of postpartum depression, while 10 to 15 percent will exhibit symptoms of depression within three months of childbirth. Besides, Albert (2015) denotes that depressive disorders are the third leading cause of global disease burden, with 5.5% of women and 3.2% of men being affected. This indicates the higher prevalence of depression in women than in men. Further, depression that is unique to women is often associated with their sexual lifestyle and reproductive well-being. Therefore, health promotion is paramount owing to the criticality of the role women play in human reproduction and sexuality. Improving depression healthcare access for women through the primary care setup is one of the best steps towards effective depression management.
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The first step in combating depression in women is an early diagnosis. In recognition of highlights by Huang et al. (2017), screening of depression is a crucial goal since there are no pathognomonic symptoms and laboratory tests for its diagnoses. Therefore, the initial goal is the completion of screening sessions for women, especially pregnant and nursing mothers. However, screening alone is insufficient ( O’Connor et al., 2016 ). Thus, treatment interventions need to be developed and implemented. A suitable intervention will be the establishment of social support structures. This is an acknowledgment of the effectiveness of obtaining support form trusted and caring persons in combating depression. By collaborating with healthcare professionals in social support centers, depressed women will be able to go through distressing situations. Further, healthy living is a known remedy for depression. Therefore, affected women will be involved in collaboratively relaxing and energizing activities such as daily exercise, yoga, and meditation sessions. Additionally, the identification of specific indulgences that are amusing to oneself will be instrumental in the treatment process. Such indulgences include hobbies, pet-keeping, art, or writing. They also include healthy living aspects such as avoidance of unhealthy foods (caffeine, unhealthy fats, carbs, and alcohol), boosting body vitamins, and adherence to mealtimes.
Depression is a major healthcare concern among women. The high prevalence of depression and the existence of depressors that are unique to women heightens the need for a health promotion plan to draw them to healthy lifestyles. Faithful fulfillment of the set objectives by both the patients and care providers will be instrumental in combating depression. The agreed-upon goals are screening, social support sourcing, and adoption of healthy lifestyles such as exercising, meditation, and healthy eating.
References
Albert, P. R. (2015). Why is depression more prevalent in women?. Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience: JPN , 40 (4), 219.
Huang, H., Tabb, K. M., Cerimele, J. M., Ahmed, N., Bhat, A., & Kester, R. (2017). Collaborative care for women with depression: a systematic review. Psychosomatics , 58 (1), 11-18.
Koskie, B. (2019). Depression: Facts, Statistics, and You . [online] Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/facts-statistics-infographic [Accessed 18 Dec. 2019].
O’Connor, E., Rossom, R. C., Henninger, M., Groom, H. C., & Burda, B. U. (2016). Primary care screening for and treatment of depression in pregnant and postpartum women: evidence report and systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. Jama , 315 (4), 388-406.
