About the Group
Background
DRIVE Work Package 6 aims to identify social and cultural drivers in depression and in our understanding of the phenomenon that is depression. How has society defined depression from ancient to modern times, and which factors influence such an understanding? Work Package 6 further aims to examine which and how social and cultural drivers influence the observed increase in depression symptomatology in the population.
Objectives
Work Package 6 aims to address the following research questions:
- How do we understand the phenomenon of depression and which social and cultural factors influence our experience, reports, and conceptualisation of depression?
- Which social and cultural drivers contribute to the observed increase in depression symptomatology in the population, especially among the youth?
Possible Methods
- Longitudinal studies with depression measurements. Are we studying the same phenomenon? Does the content and structure change between measurements?
- The use of machine learning to examine, for example: language in texts/content on, for example, TikTok; the development of words describing symptoms of depression; the increase in the written and spoken word; the influence of language on the experience and definition of depression.
- Extensive qualitative studies (interviews) of young people suffering from depression, or focus group interviews of, for example, school nurse, psychologists, and/or parents.