Major Depression Disorder An Advocate For The Change Of...

Major Depression Disorder has been a constant struggle for human beings with the first appearance dating all the way back to the second millennium B.C. This disorder was formerly known as â€Å"melancholia† and looked to as a spiritual illness where demons and evil spirits would possess the body. It wasn’t until the late 19th and early 20th century when melancholia took on a new name and idea, depression. Psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin became an advocate for the change of title and his influence has led to the increased understanding of mental illness (Bar). In order to be diagnosed with MDD, within a two-week period five or more of the following symptoms must be present: depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, significant weight loss or†¦show more content†¦Things like self-esteem, loneliness, self-doubt, and depression can often be factors some are forced to face (Michael, pg. 61). As it is the second leading cause of death and affects approximately 14.8 m illion people 18 years old and above, it is no surprise that college and university students are faced with this growing epidemic. According to the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA), the number of students diagnosed with depression had increased over a four-year span. In 2000, the ACHA-NCHA reported 10.3% of students suffering with depression and by 2004 that same time of year, 14.9% reported depression across 74 campuses in the U.S. with a sample size of 47,202. For this research we will explore the power of meditation relaxation and the effects it has on treating college students suffering from depression. Two groups will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: meditation-relaxation technique training or pseudo-relaxation training. Our independent variable is one of the two conditions and our dependent variable will be scores received from the Beck Depression Inventory. Based on past research with similar studies, it is hypothesized that the group receiving meditation-relaxation technique training will report lower rates of depression than the group receiving