influence of socio-economic factors on depression

gender (1)

Women = 2x as likely to become depressed as men

(2)

May be due to hormonal changes brought on by puberty, menstruation, menopause & pregnancy

(3)

Men = lower risk but more likely to go undiagnosed & less likely to seek help

(4)

Men = 4x more likely than women to commit suicide

Housing & environment (1)

People living in poor/overcrowded housing conditions or in unpleasant environments e.g. inner-city estates with high levels of crime are at a higher risk than average of suffering from depression

(2)

Rates of depression = extremely high in those who experience social exclusion because of their housing & environment e.g. homeless people living in hostels, temp accommodation or on the streets – linked to stress caused by poverty & lack of social & family support

poverty (1)

poor living conditions & financial problems increased likelihood of depression

(2)

links to factors like housing, social class, ethnicity & employment/unemployment

social class (1)

More prevalent in socially disadvantaged groups where there’s a higher lifetime prevalence of major MH problems & relatively poor access to MH care

(2)

stressful life events = more common in lower social classes contributing to raised prevalence

family (1)

evidence that depression runs in families (biological perspective)

(2)

may also be related to levels of tension in family life/family breakdown

media (1)

depressed people can use media e.g. news stories to reinforce negative views of the world

(2)

may also allow media images e.g. of perfect families in beautiful homes in ads to make them feel inadequate

employment/unemployment (1)

Highest rates of depression among unemployed people

(2)

Work related stress can be a contributory factor

(3)

Interesting & challenging jobs + enjoyed = less likely to suffer from depression compared to those in jobs characterised by routine & repetitiveness or uncomfortable working conditions – clear link to middle class people = less likely to experience depression

ethnicity (1)

Some ethnic groups e.g. African Caribbean & Irish people = over-represented in terms of admission to admission to psychiatric hospitals with severe depression

(2)

Thought to be linked to other social & environmental factors e.g. unemployment, living alone & poverty

education (1)

Higher levels of education tend to be linked to social cues ∴ those with higher levels of education = less likely than those with lower levels of education to be depressed

(2)

Well educated people & their families have increased capacity for getting help with depression, perhaps due to resources they have for research, accessing services & dealing with professionals