Your Heart is Never Free: Women at Wales and Ghana talking about distress
Book Title
Situating Sadness: Women and Depression in Social Context
Document Type
Book Chapter
ISBN
978-0814798010
Publication Date
2003
Editors
Janet M. Stoppard and Linda M. McMullen
Keywords
Depression in women, psychology, social environment
Description
It is well known that depression occurs more often in women than in men. It is the most commonly encountered mental health problem among women and ranks overall as one of the most important women's health problems.
Researchers have studied depression a great deal, yet women's depression has rarely been the primary focus. The contexts of women's lives which might contribute to their depression are not often addressed by the mental health establishment, which tends to focus on biological factors. Situating Sadness sheds light on the influence of sociocultural factors, such as economic distress, child-bearing or child-care difficulties, or feelings of powerlessness which may play a significant role, and points to the importance of context for understanding women’s depression.
Situating Sadness draws on research in the United States and other parts of the world to look at depression through the eyes of women, exploring what being depressed is like in diverse social and cultural circumstances. It demonstrates that understanding depression requires close attention to the social context in which women become depressed.
Publisher
New York University Press
City
New York
First Page
183
Last Page
206
Disciplines
Psychology
NSUWorks Citation
Walters, Vivienne; Joyce Avotri-Wuaku; and Nickie Charles. (2003). Your Heart is Never Free: Women at Wales and Ghana talking about distress. In Janet M. Stoppard and Linda M. McMullen (Eds.), Situating Sadness: Women and Depression in Social Context .