Depression as the word imply, simply mean a state of intense confusion, a trouble state of mind. I can say that depression has no universal definition because of various factors that may be associated with signs and symptoms, diagnosis, cultural explanation, laws of the state or country and other related factors.
For instance, if I should define depression as mental disorder, I may be saying the individual is psychotic or insane. It is not a simple term to define, except one defines it from the point of view of his understanding of the ailment otherwise there is no specific or universal agreed definition of depression.
For instance, if I should define depression as mental disorder, I may be saying the individual is psychotic or insane. It is not a simple term to define, except one defines it from the point of view of his understanding of the ailment otherwise there is no specific or universal agreed definition of depression.
The second fact to consider is in term of application of legal explanation of such an abnormal behavior which could be hurtful and abusive to say that one is a depressive person.
Thirdly, the issue of both the individual’s biological and psycho-social make up must be taking into consideration, because what is consider normal in individual “A” may not be normal in individual “B”.
According to Andrew M Coleman (2003) depression could be defined as any mood, state of sadness, gloom and pessimistic ideation with loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities, accompanies in severe cases by anorexia and consequent weight loss, feeling of worthlessness or guilt, inability to concentrate and recurrent thought of suicide or death.
It could also be defined as any pathogenic condition or illness characterized by low mood and general dissatisfaction or demotivation with otherwise lack of interest in virtually every aspect of life, followed by a persistent thought of suicide.
From the above definitions, it is obvious to say that depression affects virtually every aspect of life, psychological when the mood become disturbed, the physiological functioning when some certain body functionalities cannot work properly, our social life become crippled and sometimes, disassociate or dismembered ourselves from the society or our environment.
But then, most of the key words in the definition of depression may not be generally accepted according to social-cultural and age related factors. For instance, ethnic and cultural considerations may indicate the provision of cultural bound syndrome as specified in the DSM-IV text to some signs and symptoms or illness such as amak, susto and brain fag.
Here clinicians who are not familiar with the nuances of an individual cultural frame of reference may incorrectly judges as psychopathology to normal variations in behaviors, belief, and experiences that are particular to the people’ culture.
