Chronic Stress: A Leading Cause of Depression



Chronic Stress: A Leading Cause of Depression

Introduction

Analysis of scientific research on the stress in the professional activity of the person shows that in recent years this problem is most prevalent in the world of psychological science and practice. Now, on the one hand, a significant number of studies of different types of stress such as the stress of life, post-traumatic, professional stress, etc., are accumulated, while on the other, many authors have noted the complexity, inconsistency and lack of conceptual and methodological development of this psychological phenomenon. This research will study the relation between chronic stress and depression which is an increasing problem and have been studied by the researchers for few years.

Research problem

Depression can consecutively be a precursor or a symptom of other organic disorders or somatic illness. There are cases that patients with depression are referred to a cardiologist or gastroenterologist, while their problems are due to psychological issues and must be referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist. Apart from biological factors, genetic predisposition, which at a particular age usually not only represent the symptoms of depression, but also a serious mental illness (schizophrenia), the emergence of depressive disorders primarily lead to chronic stress. Chronic stress and major depression are brought about by a genetic switch that generates synaptic loss in the human brain. When people constantly live in stress; this factor represses the expression of several genes involved in synaptic connections (Cheung, 2007).

Background Information

Stress is a very ambiguous term, which has many connotations and very little to understand how the body adapts to the demands of everyday life (daily hassles) and catastrophic situations that occur sporadically (major life events). For many, the concept of stress reflects an undesirable state of worry, fear; irritability, sadness and difficulty in properly handling the situations that cause frustration. For others, stress is a challenge that motivates obtaining achievements and goals in life. In simpler words chronic stress is to remain for a long period of stimuli that exceed the strength of our body. This condition is particularly annoying because not only adults are exposed to it, but that the demands of modern life have caused this disease to be increasingly affecting children and adolescents (Cheung 2007). Severity of stress called chronic stress which leads to hidden depression. Chronic stress arises when a person never sees a way out of a depressing situation. It's the stress of insistent demands and pressures for seemingly interminable periods. Without hope, the person abandons the search for solutions. It generates a worldview or a belief system, which causes endless stress for the person (for example, the world is a threatening place, people pretending to discover what is not, must be perfect all the time).

Research question

Does ongoing exposure of daily stress is the leading source to the risk of developing major depression?

Research aims

The reason behind conducting this research is to investigate the chronic stress and its connection with major depression. The research aims are stated below:

To understand ...