Depression+as+a+Disease+of+Modernity.+Explanations+for+Increasing+Prevalence

Hidaka, Brandon H. “Depression as a Disease of Modernity; Explanations for Increasing Prevalence.” Journal of Affective Disorders 140.3 (2012): 205-14. Print.

Hidaka leaves little room left to doubt that depression has increased by a very large extent over the past several decades. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) rates have a rising occurrence, and younger generations now have a higher probability of developing MDD over their lifetimes. Hidaka quotes “…young adults were 6–8 times more likely to meet the cutoff for a psychopathologic score on the clinical depression scale in 2007 compared to peers in 1938.” This offers an almost irrefutable argument that depression has increased. The results of his study show that an increase in drug abuse, obesity, and personal debt would be the most likely factors causing this. Modernization between the early-mid 1900s and today brought about larg occurrences of these factors. The importance of this piece of work isn’t necessarily to debate why Major Depressive Disorder rates have gone up. Though it may be helpful to know that it could be as a result of increased drug use or debt, it is more important to use this article as proof that there has been a large growth in depression occurrences. Now a question comes to light. If the number of depressed people has grown alongside the number of people being prescribed antidepressants, has the average suicide rate changed over a similar timespan? This article will be particularly useful in building the base of my argument that it’s possible that antidepressants are ineffective in treating depression, and could even lead to an increased chance of suicide.