Depression in Asian Americans

Depression in Asian Americans
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Depression in Asian American
Depression is a mental illness that affects approximately 350 million people worldwide (World Health Organization., 2012). It affects people's moods and results to antipathy to activities that affect someone's cognitive judgments, emotions, and behavior. The following paper will analyze depression broadly. It will look at the generality of the disorder, symptoms of the illness, diagnosis, and treatment of the disorder. It is significant to the Asian communities in America as a result of their culture. It will go on to look at the recovery process and values related to seeking treatment within the Asian American community.
According to the World Health Organization, depression is marked by a continuous feeling of sadness, lack of interest, low self-worth, lack of appetite and poor concentration. Depression affects everyone, making it the most common mental disorder. Approximately one in five women and one in ten men are affected by depression at one time in their life (World Health Organization., 2012).
Depression is different from the usual feeling of sadness and other brief emotions as a result of life's challenges. Patients experience intense emotions of anxiety, misery, negativity and helplessness, and the feeling usually persists for a long period. Depression is a complex disorder, and it can be triggered by social, psychological and biological factors such as abuse, certain medication, conflict, death or loss, substance abuse, serious illness such as cancer, and major life's events, for example, losing a job. There is increased risk of development of depression in families that have a history of the disease (WHO, 2015).
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, depression can be described as mild, moderate or severe. Depression is not a transient condition. It is a long-term malaise divided into two main categories: major depressive disorder and dysthymia also referred to as chronic depression. Depression can, therefore, be chronic or recurrent, lasting between six months to more than two years. Half the people who get depression experience it again. Depression affects people's lives, and it can interfere with work, school, social relations and family (WHO), 2015).
Asian Americans describe a diverse group of people in America who trace their origin from countries in Asia. According to the United States (US) 2010 Census report, the largest groups of Asian Americans in the US are the Chinese, Filipinos, Indians, Vietnamese, Koreans and Japanese. The Asian communities are very distinct in their culture that is very different within the geographical region of Asia. The Asian culture is complex, and that is further enhanced by their different religion. Depression among the Asian Americans tends to be persistent and is less likely to be treated (Kalibatseva & Leong, 2011)
The lifetime prevalence of depression among the Asian Americans varies. The Chinese American Psychiatric Epidemiological Study (CAPES) shows a relatively low prevalence rate of depression among Chinese Americans. The National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) studied three Asian ethnic groups: Filipinos, Vietnamese, ...