| Description |
This descriptive, exploratory study was designed to develop an understanding of women's spontaneous descriptions of depression and its causes. Twenty-eight women participated with in-depth interviews. Numerous theoretical perspectives have been offered as explanation of the high prevalence of depression in women. This project captured the women's experience as lived and described, without tagging life as pathology. Women were asked to describe the life events and experiences that they called depression, rather than approaching depression from a preconceived theoretical perspective. Women's descriptions indicated experiences called depression ranged from mild to severe, from mood to clinical disorder. Three approaches for dealing with depressive episodes were used by subjects. Women generally were problem-solvers, medicators, or activators. Through a phenomenological transformation process, four major conceptual categories were developed. Expectations and choices were predominant concerns expressed by the participants, which produced a category entitled, Finding Balance: The Juggling Act."" Origins of influence for expectations and choices were the self, family and friends, religion, and society. Confusion, satisfaction, conflict, and change were reactions experienced by women in balancing and juggling roles. The second category was ""What About Me?"" Women typically felt compelled to deny the self in order to meet the demands of others. They demonstrated a commitment to being other-oriented. Old lessons taught by mothers, grandmothers, and religious groups faded slowly for subjects. Control of the self and personal destiny were not always held important by the women; external power sources were evident for some. The role of motherhood left many depleted as self-interests were postponed. ""The Process of Explaining"" described the process women utilized to devise explanations for depression. Search and construction were utilized by a majority of participants. ""A Dream Gone Bad"" was a composite category of experiences described by a portion of the participants. Fantasized ideal relationships had not been realized. Role models also served as guides and influences. These women were unable to experience a reality they imagined from observing role models."" |
