Research has established that women who are not in stable relationships or are single stand a high chance of being depressed in life.
According to the research, women who are in good and happy marriages are less likely to be depressed.
This was revealed by a renowned psychologist at Madina Polyclinic, Dr. Joseph Kofi Aidoo, during an interview with Max Morning Agenda in Accra on Tuesday.
Talking on the topic “Overcoming Depression,” he revealed that women stood a high chance of being depressed in life and explained that women reported the incident of depression more than men.
“This is because men have adopted the belief that a man is not supposed to cry or that a man is the one who drinks bitter herbs,” he said.
Dr. Aidoo observed that people who were abused, those who lost loved ones at an early age, and social factors including poverty were risk factors for depression.
He also said marital status was a key indicator of one’s risk of being depressed.
“A study by Brown and Haris says a single woman who has at least more than three children under 11 years old and doesn’t have a husband has a higher chance of getting depressed,” Dr. Aidoo said.
He further stated that people who were divorced were more likely to be depressed, as were other socio-economic factors like school fees and money.
In overcoming depression, he advised that one should have willpower and should not make others’ ill-opinions about them matter.
“A psychologist once said life is like ABC. A is the event, C is the consequence, and B is the belief. For example, your beliefs about yourself can lead to depression. When someone says you are ugly and you accept that fact, you turn to look down on yourself. Looking down on ourselves can lead to depression,” he added.
Source: Ghana/MaxTV/MaxFM/max.com.gh/Joyceline Natally Cudjoe
