The Age of Melancholy: "major Depression" and Its Social OriginsDepression has become the most frequently diagnosed chronic mental illness, and is a disability encountered almost daily by mental health professionals of all trades. "Major Depression" is a medical disease, which some would argue has reached epidemic proportions in contemporary society, and it affects our bodies and brains just like any other disease. Why, this book asks, has the incidence of depression been on such an increase in the last 50 years, if our basic biology hasn't changed as rapidly? To find answers, Dr. Blazer looks at the social forces, cultural and environmental upheavals, and other external, group factors that have undergone significant change. In so doing, the author revives the tenets of social psychiatry, the process of looking at social trends, environmental factors, and correlations among groups in efforts to understand psychiatric disorders. |
Other editions - View all
The Age of Melancholy: "major Depression" and Its Social Origins Dan German Blazer (II) No preview available - 2014 |
Common terms and phrases
20th century Adolf Meyer Age of Melancholy American Journal American Psychiatric Association antidepressant anxiety Archives basic social science behavior believe biological body brain cause chapter chronic clinical community mental health cortisol criteria depres depressed mood depressive illness depressive symptoms described diagnosis disease drug effective emerged emotional suffering epidemiology example experience experienced factors feel focus Gulf War syndrome impairment increased individual interventions investigators Journal of Psychiatry Leighton major depression Manual of Mental medical model medicine Mental Disorders mental health mental health centers mentally ill Midtown Manhattan modern psychiatry neighborhood one’s patients person physical population postmodern postmodern critique problems Prozac psychia psychiatric disorders psychological psychotherapy reaction response retreat of social risk severe depression sleep social environment social origins social psychiatry society soldiers soma specific Stirling County stress stressors suicide survey theory therapy tion treated treatment University Press World World War II York zeitgebers