Depression+in+Different+Ethnic+Groups

To start, Depression is a very common problem among many people of different ages and backgrounds. Depression is more common among women, studies have found, because women deal with different hormone changes, "heart break", work, and feeling rejected. But this can also affect men as well. Depression is an ever growing problem in society with more and more people being diagnosed with depression, which can lead to suicide, being submitted into a hospital, or even causing pain to themselves or another.

In 2004, The national health and nutrition examination survey #3 was administered to 8449 (response rate at 96.1%) participants ages ranging from 15-40 years old showed that the outcome of major depressive disorder was higher in Whites then in African Americans and Mexican Americans. Across all racial/ethnic groups, poverty was one of the highest risk factors for major depressive disorder. All immigrants that have moved from their home countries into a foreign country that is unknown to them, or that may have had to leave family behind also have a high rate for depression. This is because they feel a sense of mis-belonging, and they normally start off in poverty because they come with nothing from their previous life.

Another study showed that 76% of whites were diagnosed with depression while only 58.7% of blacks, 62.7% of Hispanics, and 47.4% of Asians. Of the 53.8 million Americans reporting that they suffer from depression, which is a quarter of the US population, 25.8% are white, 19.8% are black, 27.6% are Hispanic, and 16.1% are Asian.

One of the problems doctors are encountering though are that their patients believe they have depression, but it turns out that they do not, they are only associating certain feelings with depression. Doctors and patients need to be better educated on depression and what is associated with it so that it is diagnosed properly.

Of those who do not self report having depression, 11.5% of whites, 12.5% of blacks, 13% of Hispanics, and 12.7% of Asians state they are suffering from one of the depression symptoms. On top of that 10.1% of whites, 11.5% of blacks, 12.9% of Hispanics, and 11.2% of Asians who have not reported depression are, in fact experiencing symptoms.

These studies were drawn from the 2008 US national health and wellness survey. This shows that depression ranges from over many different Ethnic backgrounds, ages and genders. Most people who have actual depression are not reporting it, and not getting treatment for it, while people who are reporting it may not actually have depression and are getting medication for something they do not actually have.

In the end, depression needs to be addressed properly and all types of people need to be aware and knowledgeable about depression and the causes and symptoms.