HOPELESSNESS

Hopelessness

Hopelessness

Introduction

The paper discusses about the concept of hopelessness in a holistic context. It presents as to how the idea hopelessness is related with the consequences of causes of varying mental illness. The paper first attempts to discuss the concept of hopelessness and then moves on to explaining the link between hopelessness and mental healthcare. The paper also mentions the nursing interventions and practices used for coping with the psychological issue of hopelessness.

Discussion

Hopelessness

Hopelessness refers to psychological characteristics defined in terms of pessimism and negative expectations (Baum, Newman, Weinman, West & McManus, 2005). In cognitive therapy approaches, hopelessness is defined as a set of negative images and thoughts about the future. These concepts and ideas involved to explain the causes of a variety of psychology problems such as depression, suicide, schizophrenia, alcoholism, sociopath, and solid-liquid interface of somatic diseases (Henkel, Bussfeld, Möller & Hegerl, 2002). Hopelessness is state of mind where a person is plunged into complete darkness. Every possibility seems to gradually fade out and the element of being alone, helpless and hopeless is sensed (Baum, Newman, Weinman, West & McManus, 2005).

In recent years, numerous studies have shown that the way they "interpret" negative events influence the onset of emotional problems such as anxiety and depression (Henkel, Bussfeld, Möller & Hegerl, 2002). Hopelessness is an attribution style that has a tendency to make negative inferences about the causes, consequences and implications for the very person they have negative life events. In this sense, hopelessness has been considered a major source of vulnerability for certain types of mental illnesses (Coulthard, 2006).

Attribution style of hopelessness is characterized by a tendency to explain negative events from internal causes and to foresee consequences and conclude that if these negative events have taken place that means that something is wrong in oneself (Farran, Herth & Popovich, 2004). That is, people with this style make an interpretation "fatalistic" of the problems that happen, thinking there is "no solution", that "there is nothing they can do to improve the situation" and that the consequences "are inevitable, permanent and will affect all areas of life (Henkel, Bussfeld, Möller & Hegerl, 2002).

Thus, when a teenager experiencing adverse life circumstances such as suspension or rejection by the group, will perform and causes serious negative consequences such circumstances, putting themselves at risk of developing depression (Farran, Herth & Popovich, 2004). In addition, hopelessness is closely associated with the risk especially for a type of depression called for Hopelessness Depression, which includes symptoms such as low self-esteem, lack of energy, sadness, etc..

Hopelessness theory of depression has generated much research internationally, with varying results. Some of the limitations that have hindered these studies refer to the need for appropriate measurement tools to assess the cognitive style of hopelessness (Coulthard, 2006). In the study published in Anxiety and Stress, which involved nearly 1,000 adolescents, has been adapted with good psychometric test to assess attribution. The results show that hopelessness and stressful events are significantly associated with depression and that girls show more symptoms of depression, particularly ...