Depression As Seen Through the Eyes of Rural Chinese Women

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a clinical disorder that can have a negative effect on physiological condition, emotion, and cognition. In China, neuropsychiatric disorders – with depressive disorders accounting for the majority of diagnoses – rank the highest in terms of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The reported rate of major depressive disorder in China is statistically higher for women than men; and is higher in rural compared to urban areas. Researchers speculate that it is linked to the changing role of women in rural areas; as a result of job migration, rural women are often left behind while their spouses and children seek employment among urban and industrial areas.

Among the 277 participants in the study that identified the woman in the vignette as ill, about 42% of the rural women attributed the cause to internal factors. In Chinese culture, psychological distress continues to be viewed by many as the result of personal weakness and a lack of willpower. The results of the study suggest that stigma or shame associated with psychological distress drastically reduces help-seeking behaviour; stigma has a powerful influence on the treatment-seeking decisions of rural Chinese women.

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Source:

• http://www.jad-journal.com/article/S0165-0327(17)31995-X/abstract