Lived Experience Of Depression Research Articles

Evidence-based poetry: using poetic representation of phenomenological research to create an educational tool for enhancing empathy in medical trainees in the management of depression

ABSTRACTCurrent medical education provides insufficient training in clinical empathy, which is important when caring for mentally ill patients Reading and discussing poetry are promising methods for developing clinical empathy. This qualitative study aims to improve empathy in medical students and practitioners towards patients with depression, by creating poetry as a medical education intervention. Five patients with depression shared their lived experience of depression in focus groups. For each of the nine major symptoms of depression, three types of poems were created: found poems using poetic condensation of phenomenological data, thematic poems based on thematic analysis, and freestyle poems. Participants with depression evaluated the poems. 26 out of 30 poems were felt to capture the lived experience of depression, and all three types of poetry were effective. Incidentally, themes of stigmatization and lack of empathy also emerged. Further directions include publishing and studying whether these poems improve empathy in medical trainees.

The mental health community: An underserved and undertreated population: Encouraging research but challenges remain

The mental health community: An underserved and undertreated population: Encouraging research but challenges remain

The lived experience of depression in older women: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

The lived experience of depression in older women: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

The lived experience of depression among culturally Deaf adults

Culturally Deaf adults lost hearing at early ages, communicate primarily in American Sign Language (ASL), and self-identify as culturally Deaf. Communication barriers lead to isolation, low self-esteem, abuse, and inadequate health care. Screening Deaf patients for depressive symptoms poses challenge. Nurses are rarely familiar with ASL, and depression screening tools aren't easily translated from English to ASL. Consequently, Deaf adults are not adequately screened for depression. Qualitative interviews were conducted with culturally Deaf adults, and certified interpreters helped to enhance understanding. Text was generated from interview transcriptions and researcher observations. No novel depressive symptoms were described. Various ASL signs were used to represent depression; two participants used a unique gesture that had no meaning to others. Childhood experiences leading to depression included sexual or physical abuse, feeling ostracized from family and like a burden. Suicidal gestures communicated severity of depression. Adults felt interpreters were unwelcome during mental health encounters. No participants were asked about depressive symptoms despite frank manifestations of depression. Study describes antecedents and consequences of depressive symptoms among Deaf adults. Understanding symptom manifestations and challenges experienced by Deaf patients helps identify those at risk for depression, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality.

The lived experience of depression in elderly African American women.

This article focuses on the lived experience of depression in 20 elderly African American women. Data on depression emerged from research that qualitatively explored experiences of depression, sadness, and suffering in 120 community-dwelling persons aged 80 and older, stratified by gender, ethnicity, and self-reported health. We placed women's narratives under three general themes: Depression was (a) linked with diminishment of personal strength, (b) related to sadness and suffering, and (c) preventable or resolvable through personal responsibility. Brief accounts illustrate how themes emerged in women's discussion of depression. African American women created a language for depression that was rooted in their personal and cultural history and presented in vivid vignettes through their life stories. Their belief systems and the language they used to describe depression are integral aspects of the lived experience of depression.