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Look at societal rates of depression across different cultures. We’ve built this individualistic society and shown everyone the “great things” individuals can d
by taurath 6y ago
Look at societal rates of depression across different cultures. We’ve built this individualistic society and shown everyone the “great things” individuals can do. I think there are plenty of reasons american culture specifically allows for depression. I’m happy to hear other hypotheses - I realize my lived experience is not objective truth.
- smt88 6y agoMy gut wants me to agree with you, but consider how hard it is to study depression at a population level. First, any society with lower stigma and better health care is going to diagnose more depression because more people will be evaluated. Second, it's hard to track or categorize acute depression. We usually get data on chronic depression. Third, depression is correlated with many conditions, such as poverty, physical injury, other mental illness, surviving abuse or war, etc. In some cases we don't know which is the cause and which is the effect. I could go on and on. Weather, living as a sexual or racial minority, economic recession, being a caregiver, and almost every other life circumstance can be related to diagnosis of depression. We just don't have any concrete answers that I've ever seen.