For Depression:The Christian Perspective Part 1 click here.

Depression in the Family

The impact of depression in the family can have a domino effect on everyone in a particular household at one time or another. Women, who are the child bearers and one of the dominant forces in the early nurturing of their young, face high rates of depression that go largely untreated. Niloufer S. Ali, Badar S. Ali, Iqbal S. Azam, and Ali K. Khuwaja state that, “Globally, the prevalence of mental health and psychosocial problems is high during pregnancy and after birth” (Niloufer S Ali, 2010). It is important to note here that, during the nurturing phase of childhood is where this “domino effect” of depression can begin because it can become a learned behavior through mannerisms that get passed along generationally as time progresses. The authors of the article The Relationship Between Stressful Life Events, Protective Factors, and Depression in Mothers Caring for Young Children in the South Bronx note, “Children raised by mothers with maternal depression have poorer physical and mental health, experience more developmental delays, and perform worse in school” (Barbara Hackley CNM, et al., 2018). Additional evidence of maternal units passing on mannerisms of depression has been linked to women suffering from enhanced anxiety struggles during the mid-life crisis stage of life. According to the article entitled, Does Family History of Depression Predict Major Depression in Midlife Women? Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation Mental Health Study, the authors state that, “We found that family history of depression is a strong predictor of major depression in midlife women, particularly in those with a lifetime history of depression prior to midlife” (Colvin, 2014).  In light of this substantiated information, why are women who are battling depression as mothers going undiagnosed and without treatment?  The answer to this question begins with the state of family and communication. A documented study on the topic of family mental health conducted by Noosha Niv, Nikki Frousakis, Bonnie G. Zucker Shirley Glynn, Lisa Dixon in the article A Brief Family Intervention for Depression in Primary Care states:  

“Of the 136 veterans who met study eligibility, 115 (84.6 per cent) reported contact with a family member. Of those, fifty (43.5 per cent) agreed to have their relative involved in their treatment. The most common reasons given for not wanting family involved were lack of family contact, burden to family members, and privacy issues.” (Noosha Niv, 2018)

Given these results, the biggest takeaway which should draw attention here, is the reasoning behind those opting to not have family involved in mental health therapy. As a matter of fact, it can be argued that communication, stigma, and embarrassment are barriers that are hindering the full state of mental health healing. Furthermore, these blockades point to the state of marriage/relationships today, and a sound contention can be made that there is a lacking of a solid foundation on God and His absolute steadfast biblical principles. With this in mind, there is hope for healing in the counseling arena. In the article Affective Disorders Steven R.H. Beach and Mark A. Whisman state, “Changes in parenting (consistent discipline, child monitoring, and open communication), but not in youth intrapersonal competencies, were found to significantly mediate intervention effects on mothers’ depression” (Whisman & Beach, 2012). To clarify, shifting actions along with perspectives provided a positive impact on mothers battling depression. The significance of this is important because as previously established the main goal of narrative therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy is to aid an individual in transitioning their thought process towards a positive outward action.

Biblical Perspective

With attention to healing depression, it is crucial to cover the biblical perspective on spirituality regarding the connection to Christ Jesus, the impact of support, and how the role of the family helps women. In order to properly analyze the function of spirituality, more specifically, Christ Jesus, it is necessary to examine the inner self. As previously mentioned, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs requires a constant moderate balance of the inward and outward elements for an individual to feel accomplished. In the article Body Image Discrepancy and Negative Affect in Women’s Everyday Lives: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Evaluation of Self-Discrepancy Theory, Kristin E. Heron and Joshua M. Smyth note, “ Self-discrepancy theory (SDT) posits that people have three self-representations: the actual self, ideal self, and ought self” (Heron, 2013). With attention to, the actual, ideal, and ought self, a direct link can be made to the physical, mental, and spiritual human attributes of life. For instance, how one feels about themselves mentally will have an influence on both the physical and spiritual components which drive liveliness. Philippians 4:8 of the King James Version states, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Holy Bible KJV, 1997). To be clear, the Apostle Paul here is inferring that the human mind does indeed impact how life is lived along with emotions based upon certain thoughts. For this reason, it can be stated that there is justification for Christian spirituality in the realm of depression treatment, and the human mind is indeed designed by God.

Correspondingly, further validity that Christian spirituality coincides with God’s design along with depression treatment exists throughout the Bible. Hebrews 3:13 of the King James Version reads, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”(Holy Bible King James Version). It should be noted here that, this verse is written as a commandment that ties to one of the central themes of Biblical teaching which is to love one another and help one another avoid the traps of temptation. Stepping back to the arena of therapy, encouragement is the basic foundation that a counselor uses to treat an individual with depression because it is the genesis of support. Further proof of this exists in the process of life itself. Klausli and Caudill note that, “According to attachment theory, positive and consistent experiences with the primary caregivers during the first year of life have long-lasting effects on one’s relational development but also on various aspects of developmental outcomes including emotional well-being and health” (Caudill & Klausli, 2018). As previously established, the connection between mothers as nurturers plays a significant supporting role in the lives of their children, and the effects can be positive or negative depending upon the state of balance within the mind along with the family as a single unit.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the role of family helps women through support by encouragement, love, and teamwork. Mary Adams mentions that, “Society has constructed many ideal images of motherhood, giving women standards to live up to, and many times setting them up for disappointment. When this disappointment occurs, an emotional reaction follows, which may be fear, guilt, or shame” (Adams, 2015). A contention can be made here that, when the wedges of fear, guilt, and shame become the dominant social norms within an individual it disrupts the balance which Abraham Harold Maslow believed was so crucial to mental health. Additionally, a strong case can be made that biblical spirituality is a much-needed component of treating depression due to the liaisons between the mind, and the complete psyche of humans as individuals. Furthermore, for women, the role of family has a direct result regarding their mental health. In brief, there is no need for a new practical model that needs to be established in the home to help depression treatment. Psalm 9:9 of the King James Version states, “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble” (Holy Bible KJV, 1997). All in all, a return to the original model of biblical principles is sensible and well-grounded because humanism is eliminated from the equation which in turn brings us closer to Him.

Bibliography

Adams, M. (2015). Motherhood: A Discrepancy Theory. Research and Theory for Nursing Practice, 29(2), 143-157. <https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-3683924881/motherhood-a-discrepancy-theory>

Barbara Hackley CNM, P., BA, M. S., MPH, M. K., BS, M. A., MPH, A. H., BA, O. Z., & MD, A. S. (2018, October 05). The Relationship Between Stressful Life Events, Protective Factors, and Depression in Mothers Caring for Young Children in the South Bronx. Jorunal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 63(5), 624. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12914

Caudill, C., & Klausli, J. (2018). Depression for college students in a traditional Christian culture context: the role of attachment, spirituality and social support. Mental Health, Religion & Culture , 21(8), 105-115. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2018.1458083

Colvin, A. R. (2014). Does family history of depression predict major depression in midlife women? Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation Mental Health Study (SWAN MHS). Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 17(4), 264. doi: 10.1007/s00737-014-0433-8

Heron, K. E. (2013). Body image discrepancy and negative affect in women’s everyday lives: An ecological momentary assessment evaluation of self-discrepancy theory. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 32(3), 276-295. doi: https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2013.32.3.276

Holy Bible KJV. (1997). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Holy Bible King James Version. (n.d.). Retrieved from Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%203%3A13&version=KJV

Niloufer S Ali, B. S. (2010). Effectiveness of counseling for anxiety and depression in mothers of children ages 0-30 months by community workers in Karachi, Pakistan: a quasi experimental study. BMC Psychiatry, 10(1), 1. doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-10-57

Noosha Niv, N. F. (2018, February ). A brief family intervention for depression in primary care. Journal of Family Therapy, 40(1), 100-119. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6427.12147

Whisman, M. A., & Beach, S. R. (2012, January 01). AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. Journal of Marital and Family, 38(1), 201-219. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00243