Depression Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Depression - Research Paper Example If there was one word that could be used as an umbrella term to cover all the feelings resulting from depression that would be â€Å"hopelessness†. Depression is a serious disorder but can be treated if adequate measures are taken in time without delay. Learning about the potential causes, signs and symptoms of depression is indeed, the very first step in the way towards its resolution, treatment and prevention. What is depression? Depression is essentially an illness which affects and takes control of an individual’s mood, thoughts and the whole body. Under the influence of depression, an individual becomes pessimistic in his/her approach towards himself/herself and his/her eating and sleeping habits are particularly affected. Many people suffering from depression take eating as a means to escape depression. In their attempt to relieve their tension, they seek refuge in the taste of food. The resulting overeating makes them gain weight and many end up becoming obese. W here food intake is increased, there is a significant decrease in the amount of sleep. People suffering from depression either can not sleep or have nightmares when they sleep. They are haunted by ferocious dreams which interrupt the sleep. It is not possible for an individual that has a depressive disease to â€Å"pull himself/herself together† and start feeling better. ... There are four major kinds of depression, namely major depression, atypical depression, dysthemia, and seasonal affective disorder. They are explained below: 1. Major depression Thus type of depression is largely characterized by an individual’s lack of tendency to feel pleasure in life. The lack of enjoyment is persistent and uninterrupted. This makes the depression aggravate with the passage of time. However, even if no treatment is taken, major depression usually occupies the patient for 6 months. Most of the people experience a single episode of depression in their whole life. The disorder is generally recurring but there are medicines and treatment to minimize the recurrence. In the West, major depression is the No. 1 psychological disorder in the contemporary age (clinical-depression.co.uk, 2011) which is increasing among all communities and age groups, particularly among the youth. It is estimated that by 2020, major depression will be the second most disabling disorder in addition to the heart disease. In order to fight major depression, most patients resort to the use of antidepressants. They are undoubtedly effective in providing an individual with immediate relief, though they do little to guarantee the individual depression free life. 2. Atypical depression It is essentially a subtype of the major depression. Atypical depression is characterized by a particular symptom pattern that is inclusive of a temporal shift in mood as a result of positive events. An individual suffering from atypical depression feels good when he/she hears good news or when he/she hangs out with peers or friends. Nonetheless, the temporary emotional boost is ephemeral. The potential symptoms of atypical depression include but are not limited to increase of

Critical Literature Review Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critical Literature Review - Coursework Example A cultural change is required to counter the widespread acceptance of dishonest practices. De Vries, et al. 2011 Personality traits such as conscientiousness, honesty-humility/integrity are effective predictors of counterproductive academic behaviour. Jones & Spraakman 2011 Faculty member’s instigation of broad-based cheating among students caused the faculty’s dismissal, but administrators excused the students’ participation. Faulty integrity culture skewed students’ perception of ethical behaviour. Kisamore, et al., 2007 Students with poorly-adjusted personality traits are more disposed to cheat due to the influence and interaction of integrity culture. Kitahara, et al., 2009 Case study demonstrated the effectiveness of employing multifaceted, hybrid approaches to ensure academic integrity. Larkin, et al., 2012 Additional enticements to plagiarize and cheat are provided by the use of online media, due to the ease of transmitting exam questions and answer s. Okoro, 2011 Plagiarism in all its forms is often difficult to communicate to students when merely stated in policy. Guided instruction strategies involving student-teacher interaction reduces incidences of unintentional plagiarism. Spain & Robles, 2011 Adoption and enforcement of a systematic Academic Integrity Policy makes adjudication of academic dishonesty cases more effective, reduces future such incidences, and establishes a culture of academic integrity. ... Table 1: Summary of academic journal articles Critical Comparison Determinants of academic integrity: Integrity culture and personality traits A debate exists concerning the factors that determine academic integrity, most commonly cited of which are the academic integrity culture (Tippitt, et al., 2009), and students’ or faculty members’ personal characteristics (De Vries, et al., 2011). Tippitt’s findings on integrity culture is supported by the study by Jones & Spraakman (2011), that fittingly explored the role that faculty members play in advancing academic misconduct. Faculty members’ willingness to cover up graduate students’ plagiarism or other forms of cheating to avoid public scandal, and university administrators’ tendency to overlook these infractions and not discipline faculty members to avoid embarrassment, are common. The Jones et al. study made a good case for integrity culture because it focused on a specific instance where the faculty member himself instigated student misconduct by leaking the departmental examination and quizzes to his class. The faculty member was dismissed, but the administrators decided to excuse the students and merely reduced en masse their grades instead of disciplining them. The cultural issue surfaced in the fact that most of the students interviewed felt there was nothing wrong about obtaining an unfair advantage over the other sections, and did not feel they were responsible for reporting the conduct of their instructor or their peers’ participation. Integrity culture is also central in Thakkar and Weisfeld-Spolter (2012), who determined that acts constituting cheating