Thesis on "Mental Health the Technological Developments"

Thesis 8 pages (2683 words) Sources: 4 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Mental Health

The technological developments within the field of healthcare have been providing new, as well as, improved procedures to treat patients suffering from substance abuse. Nonetheless, still many patients have been left not only wanting but also disappointed from the healthcare system. Both depression, as well as, low self-esteem has been linked to higher levels of substance abuse amongst adolescents. The fundamental goal of depression and low self-esteem treatments is to efficiently augment the mental capability of the patient at the same as monumentally decreasing the degree of their levels of low self-esteem and depression. This study will reveal a professional situation in the life of someone I know. The factors causing low self-esteem and depression will be discussed and theories along with diagnostic and treatment information will be explained that will assist in developing a thorough response.

Background of the study

In the past thirty years, there has been an ever increasing concern amongst the scholars in the link between drug use, depression as well as low self-esteem. Numerous studies have revealed that higher the levels of depression as well as low self-esteem are related to the higher the addiction to a certain drug or alcohol or cigarettes (Aneshensel and Huba, 1983; Braucht et al., 1973; Kaminer, 1991; Kaplan et al., 1980; Kaplan et al., 1984; Kennedy et al., 1987; Paton et al., 1977; Reinherz et al., 1991; Robins and Przybeck, 1985; Shiffman and Wills, 1985; Simons et al., 1991). These strikingly similar results amid higher depression levels, lower self-esteem and the extreme use of drugs has led many researchers to believe that there is a definite and interdependent relation between the three amongst the youth (Blau et al., 1988; Kaplan et al., 1984; Reinherz et al., 1991; Simons et al., 1988).

In addition, research studies have been carried out on social effects or influences, on depression and low self-esteem. Furthermore, studies have also been carried out on the impact of economic situation on depression and low self-esteem. When taking all this into consideration, these socio-economic dynamics and peripheral elements have been proved to be critical and decisive in the relation between depression, low self-esteem and substance abuse (see Dembo et al., 1979; Paton and Kandel, 1978; Prendergast, 1974; Siegel and Ehrlich, 1989). This study will reveal a professional situation in the life of someone I know. The factors causing low self-esteem and depression will be discussed and theories along with diagnostic and treatment information will be explained that will assist in developing a thorough response.

Low self-esteem and drugs

For this individual her body image was formed by customs and mores about the desired physical appearances emanating from the society. I found that self-esteem was directly proportional to the level of cultural standards she believed she had attained. I also found that she became a victim of lower self-esteem as she was surrounded by ideal images of women who not only depict physical perfection by being thin, sexual and inactive; but also portray social and economic success. Furthermore, when she was at the beginning of her menses, her higher levels of low self-esteem could be witnessed as she ended up gaining nearly one third of additional fat Furthermore, post-menses period also revealed higher levels of self-esteem due to (1) biological changes occurring in her body and (2) the media representation of an ideal body image Similarly, she developed lower levels of self-esteem because she was constantly being told that she was imperfect regardless of how thin or beautiful she looked.

In addition, gender role identity profoundly impacted the self-esteem of this girl particularly when she underwent biological changes in her body and as a result transitioned from girlhood to maturity. Higher level of low self-esteem was found in this girl as she was not properly trained about female appearance and expectations and her role in the society.

Furthermore, the relationship between her body image and self-esteem was strongly influenced by her family and it played a major role on her gender identification. If she had been given proper input about her role and responsibilities in the society; chances of her acquiring low self-esteem were unlikely. However, her parents failed to give certain physical benchmarks with which she could compare herself with and was ultimately found to be prone to higher levels of low self-esteem.

In addition, her relationship with her mother had a significant impact on not only her gender role identity but also her body image as well as self-esteem. Kamptner (1988) theorized that adolescent girls who found mothers to be as role models and source of wisdom were highly likely to develop higher levels of self-esteem than those girls who had weak relationship with their mothers. Similarly, Striegel-Moore et al. (1986) theorized that mothers, who consistently guided their adolescent girls on how to behave, think and feel and how they should physically appear, had a profound and positive impact on female self-esteem, their gender identity and body image. In this case, the subject was unable to establish a strong bond with her mother and therefore was prone to lower levels of self-esteem and depression.

In addition, Jackson et al. (1986) theorized that the perception of a mother about her womanliness is directly proportional to her daughter's perception of her womanliness (Jackson et al., 1986). Attie and Brooks-Gunn (1989) found that mothers have been responsible for the body image of an adolescent and also about his/her eating habits. In this particular case, the subject's perception of her body image and her eating habits had been influenced by her mother. She was heavily inclined towards her mother about her gender identity, body image and self-esteem. Furthermore, she used to pressurize her parents for freedom and her parents in turn were apprehensive about the result of her changing sexuality. While strong family bonds and understanding from parents could have led to higher levels of self-esteem; however, the opposite was true for this particular individual.

Even though self-esteem is considered to be a very personal and individual factor, however, it was this importance in individualism that affected the subject negatively. As a young girl she was stressed on getting the body image that was promoted as successful in the electronic and print media i.e. extremely thin waists and tall heights. Since she failed to attain the ideal body she developed lower levels of self-esteem and regarded herself as spiritless and deficient in abilities that were needed to achieve success in her spheres of interest.

It is noteworthy that one of the features in the modernized American society that affects the self-esteem of the adolescents is perception of their personal input and successful/failing outcome that follows. For this individual failure took the form of school grades, financial situation of her family, the nature of her familial and social relations. Her failure to attain the perfect or ideal body image was directly related by the adolescents to their personal inputs.

The belief that personal inputs can help attain success in an individual's life is not only popular in societies but is also projected widely in the media which advertises how some people can actually control their weight. This guides the adolescents to believe that obesity is a mater of personal input more then anything else while the truth of the matter is that there are numerous other factors involved.

Once the adolescents believe that personal input is the answer and yet fail to decrease their weight with rigorous dieting or exercise, then their self-esteem and confidence is bound to decrease. But it has to be remembered that the phenomenon of self-esteem is not affected by a single factor but there are many other elements that contribute to its varying levels. The researchers over time have asserted that the self-esteem of the overweight individual with their failures to personally control their weight should only affect them in a way that they depreciate those who experience obesity and hence create their own philosophies of the ideal body image or skinniness (Goold 2004).

Overtime this individual felt that she had no self-control and her personal input is not enough and thereafter she degraded herself through:

Believing that she is amongst the shamed and degraded groups of her society and there is very little she can do to get out of that position, and Building an unnaturally high asking level of herself which she did not have the strength, will power or ability among other things to actually achieve.

These dramatic situations and beliefs ultimately forced her to look for a fantasy escape and she found this escape in drugs.

Depression and drugs

The mother-daughter relationship served as a potential cause for higher levels of depression for this subject. It was clearly noticeable that the unhappy mother seemed to degrade her daughters more then her sons. Also, it was the daughter (the subject) who emulated her mother more then the sons, which was one of the reasons why dissatisfaction of the mother led to higher levels of depression in the subject. Furthermore, when we take… READ MORE

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