The Depression Epidemic

Martin Seligman's research suggests depression is ten times more prevalent than it was for our grandparents, and the average age for onset of depression in developed nations has droppped from 29.5 to 14 years old. He attributes this to our individualism and lack of connection to real community, the self-esteem movement, and a growing sense of individualism in modern culture.

At a farewell party for a faculty member at the University of Virginia years ago, the wife of the departing professor broke down in tears and said, "I'm tired of moving from one place to another every few years, and having to make another set of friends." I've often heard people since speak of their weak social networks, their sense of isolation, and the difficulty they had connecting with other people.

And yet, our isolation is by choice: it sometimes seems we value our careers and our "advancement" more than we do our connections with other people. In the 1830s, Alexis de Toqueville commented in "Democracy in America" that people in the New World would finish building a house, then immediately start looking for the next place they were going to move. Rugged individualism has always been an important part of who we are in the USA. But I have to wonder what kind of price we've paid for this aspect of our modern lives.

Seligman's research suggests to me that the antidote for the depression that is so prevalent today must include a reconnection to real community and taking responsibility for our own successes and failures. I truly believe that there is an opportunity for us in every setback we face, and that a joyful life is possible for anyone if he/she chooses to pursue it ... even in the face of failure and loss.