Global Issues in Psychology

Global Issues in Psychology The study of psychological issues has deep roots in Europe and the United States. These roots show that psychology has close ties to European and American societies. Therefore, the discipline and practice of psychology, as highlighted by Scheid and Wright (2017), are not only culturally bound but limited in their origins, empirical findings, and concepts to these parts of the world. However, other parts of the world are slowly embracing psychological concepts to understand their societal issues. Research in different psychological issues has assisted professionals in gathering evidence on the causes of psychological problems and practical solutions to these problems. Unfortunately, numerous psychology-related issues are complex.

Due to their complexity, these issues are far from being comprehensively understood to develop lasting solutions. This discussion recognizes major depressive disorder as a huge psychological burden to society. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of teen depression and compares the sociocultural perspectives of this disorder in Singapore and the United States. A reflection of the ethical, social and personal connections to depression is also highlighted.

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Definition of psychological issue: Teen depression Teen depression is a psychological disorder associated with an unending feeling of sadness, decreased energy, and loss of social interest. This condition affects the thinking, feeling, and behaviors of the youth. Studies show that it causes physical, functional and emotional problems among the affected persons. Although depression can affect individuals in all age brackets, the severity of the symptoms may differ from one person to another and from one age group to another. The impact of depression is severe in young people since they do not have properly developed coping mechanisms.

The dynamics of the modern world are exerting extreme pressure on young people, thus increasing the risk of depression. Almost all societies are struggling with rising cases of teen depression. For instance, mental health reports indicate that teen depression is a growing health concern in Singapore. Subramaniam et al. (2020) noted that over 18% of young people in Singapore suffer from the major depressive disorder. The researchers associated the high rate of depression among teenagers with societal pressures, chemical changes in the brain, and uncontrollable social and economic factors. A significantly high number of teens develop depressive symptoms at age 14. The probability of developing depression increases with age in younger people.

Younger people do not understand the cause and implication of depression.

Subsequently, it is hard for this population to cope with the social disruptions related to depression. Unfortunately, misconceptions concerning mental disorders, limited knowledge, social support, and ostracisation drive most youth into depression. These consequences indicate the need to understand the causes and the impact of depression on the social, physical and emotional wellbeing of a person.

Personality theories and teen depression Understanding the link between personality and depression has significant implications for clarifying the causes, comorbidity, risk factors, social impact, and treatment of this disorder.

Various personality theories have been proposed as potential frameworks for increasing the healthcare professionals' understanding of teen depression. Researchers use these personality theories to gather evidence to increase the understanding of teen depression (Bernaras, Jaureguizar & Garaigordobil, 2019).

Comprehending the connections between personality and depression has potentially significant implications for practice and research. For instance, personality traits liked emotional regulation, expression and experience may be intermediate phenotypes providing traceable targets for neurobiological studies than depressive diagnoses. Researchers may also use personality traits to identify subgroups that express a high risk of developing depression (Bernaras, Jaureguizar & Garaigordobil, 2019). Research on the pathways connecting personality and depressive symptoms can generate valid information on proximal processes related to depressive disorders.

Psychologists have extensively used Eysenck's theory of personality to understand depression and its impact on individuals and society. Study findings have revealed distinct a relationship between depression and the main aspects of personality, including neuroticism and extraversion. McDonnell and Semkovska (2020) noted that people with higher neuroticism and introversion scores are more likely to develop depression than lower-scoring persons. These findings were supported by Servaas et al. (2015), who pointed out a robust connection between neuroticism and emotional processing networks in the brain.

Comparison of sociocultural perspective: Singapore and United States

Similarities Teen depression is a huge social problem in Singapore and the United States. The number of younger people being diagnosed with depressive disorders has increased tremendously over the last few years. In the U.S, over 20% of all teens experience depression before attaining adulthood (CDC, 2021). The severity of the symptoms varies from one teen to another. Although depression has been recognized as a serious societal problem, there is a huge treatment gap. In the United States, for instance, only 30% of teens with depression receive treatment for this condition (CDC, 2021). Pang et al. (2018) noted that cultural beliefs of mental illness elucidate the cultural and sociodemographic nuances that contribute to the treatment gap observed in Singapore. The low number of young people seeking treatment is associated with the stigma towards this condition and the mentally ill. Notably, the number of young people seeking treatment for depression in Singapore is significantly higher than in the U.S. This variation is attributable to sociocultural perspectives on depression.

A major similarity between social-cultural perspectives on depression in Singapore and the U.S is that attitudes towards teen depression and other mental health conditions vary among families, cultures, individuals and ethnicities. Cultural and religious teachings influence people’s beliefs concerning the origin and nature of mental illnesses (Unite for Sight, 2021). These teaching also shape attitudes towards the mentally ill. Besides influencing stigma about mental disorders, sociocultural perspectives affect an individual’s readiness to seek treatment. Tan et al.

(2020) noted that the fear of discrimination hinders many young people from seeking timely treatment for depression. This shows that society has not yet embraced people presenting with depressive disorders and other mental conditions.

In both the U.S and Singapore young people fear being labeled with the condition that places them in a stigmatized group. Labeling also affects other aspects of a person’s life, including. Tan et al. (2020) asserted that labeled persons are likely to be denied equal life opportunities besides being discriminated against by the justice system. The possibility of suboptimal treatment is also high in the discriminated group that other patient populations.

Furthermore, depression affects young people’s social interactions. People with depression avoid social gatherings and close relationships for fear of stigmatization. Tan et al.

(2020) pointed out that the internalization of society notions of stigmatization undermines young people’s sense of self-worth and self-esteem. Many young people fear the experience of stigmatization due to depression than the condition itself.

The main difference between the sociocultural perspectives of depression in the target societies is that in Singapore, there are three main ethnic communities, whereas the U.S comprises many ethnic groups. In the U.S, young people in ethnic minority communities experience disproportionate suffering due to discriminatory perspectives on depression. The level of discrimination against depressed teens is significantly lower in Singapore than in the U.S. Ethical, social, and personal connections There are several social, ethical, and personal attributes associated with teen depression.

For instance, research on depression is guided by the ethical principles of mental health research.

These principles prohibit the discrimination of a depressed person. Notably, research on young people presenting with depression and other psychological disorders is complex and ethically sensitive. Hiriscau, Stingelin-Giles, Wasserman and Reiter-Theil, (2016) clarified that researchers are only allowed to conduct ethically justifiable prevention research based on the objective of burden reduction on young people families, and society. Ethical principles also

guide treatment for depression. The principle of non-maleficence, for instance, guides healthcare professionals to provide treatment that improves the patient care outcomes without generating severe side effects. In line with beneficence, researchers and practitioners need to provide depressive persons with the best available treatment to ensure their health and safety are no jeopardized (Hiriscau, Stingelin-Giles, Wasserman & Reiter-Theil, 2016). Another ethical issues that guides the treatment of the target population is autonomy. Although depressive disorders lower the decision-making capacity of a person, the patient must consent to all interventions.

Irrefutably, depression affects all life domains of teenagers and young adults (KheshtMasjedi et al. 2019). The impact of depression on the daily functioning of young people has wider implications on society. For instance, since the productivity of a depressed person is significantly lower than a healthy person, employers shun people with a history of depressive symptoms and other mental illnesses. Khesht-Masjedi et al. (2019) also noted that depressive teens experience significant decrements in social and family relationships besides putting greater strains on their families. The researchers also pointed out that depressed teens present with comorbid behavioral and emotional problems such as substance use, anxiety and aggression (Khesht-Masjedi et al. 2019).

Unfortunately, teen depression is on the rise. Health reports depict a heartbreaking trend cutting across all demographics. Statistics have revealed that about one in five young people suffers from depression. This disorder affects the academic performance of this population and contributes to increased cases of inappropriate behavior. Depression is mostly associated with a single contributory factor, but it impacts several aspects of life. A proper care plan is necessary to ensure young people are given adequate treatment for depression as this condition may be mistaken for normal teen angst.

Conclusion Teen depression is a serious psychological issue facing society today. The dynamics of the modern world are exerting immense pressure on young people leading to depression.

Researchers and practitioners use different personality theories to understand the implications of teen depression on society. Eysenck's personality theory is one of the theories commonly used for this purpose. The sociocultural perspectives on depression vary across individuals, families and society. The perception of teen depression is similar in Singapore and the U.S. In these societies, discrimination against people with mental disorders is significantly high. The high stigmatization rates contribute to the fear of seeking treatment due to potential discrimination.

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