Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Assignment Example One of the main technological advancements that completely transformed the business world is the invention of the Social Media Networks such as Facebook, Skype and Twitter. Technology enables people to network easily, chat and meet friends over the internet. In addition, businesses take advantage of this platform provided by social media networks to advertise their products and services, i.e. through e marketing and e-commerce. Social media networks have millions of people converging on their sites at the same time. Businesses are looking for these customers. Therefore, it is mandatory for every business to have a presence in social media in order to keep adrift with business trends and transformation (Hair, Lamb and McDaniel 14). On the other hand, social media networks also brought about significant transformation in the social-cultural arena whereby it transformed how people interacted. Through social media networks, it is possible for people to meet and make friends with other fr om parts of the globe. Furthermore, social media sites also enable people to participate in online conversations, voice their opinions about certain issues, as well as contribute to both educational and motivational blogs. As such, social communication greatly advanced through social media networks. This greatly improved interpersonal skills and modes of communication across the globe. The world has become a more social place thanks to social media, and social media networks enabled people to marshal support and fight champion for a common course, e.g. social media sites was very fundamental in organizing the Arab Uprising in Egypt in 2011 (Hair, Lamb and McDaniel 14). A recent study by a consumer health organization, Families USA, reported that pharmaceutical drug companies spend over $57 billion per year on promotion. Direct-to-physician activities accounted for the bulk of spending, on a practice called, â€Å"detailing†Ã¢â‚¬â€visits to physicians by pharmaceutical sales representatives in order to promote their firm’s drugs. Free drug samples distributed during these visit represent another significant expense. It is estimated that in total pharmaceutical companies spend over $61,000 in â€Å"promotion per physician†. The other major piece of the marketing ‘pie’ is spent on consumer-direct marketing—ads that suggest consumers ‘ask the doctor† about drugs we may not even need for ailments we may not even have. The report also states that each of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies spend more than twice as much on marketing on research and development. The market for prescription drugs is unique in many ways. Prescription drug marketers must convince a third party-- a physician-- to prescribe their product to the ultimate consumer, the patient. The decider is the physician, and drug manufacturers' promotional efforts traditionally have been directed toward physicians. Furthermore, drug firms increasingly have to influence committees in hospitals and health management organizations who are determining which drugs their physicians can prescribe. (15) (About 250-300 words) If prescription drugs can only be ordered by a physician, what is the purpose of marketing directly

Technological and cultural determinism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Technological and cultural determinism - Essay Example 2. Apply these theories to recent discourse about new forms of television, whether high definition TV, 3-D TV, online TV, etc. The discourse may come from a website, an advertisement, a TV program, a newspaper/magazine article, a blog, etc.   Just like other deterministic theories, technological determinism, and cultural determinisms seeks out to explain the historical and social phenomena in terms of one determining factor. It is considered to be a doctrine of casual or historical primacy. In other words, technological determinism is used to describe ways in which technology has influenced the evolution of human. Technology such as television online TV, advertisement among other technologies have played a significant role in creating new spaces for human to inhibit on a physical or a mental basis (Winston 789). Therefore, humans have adapted to these new spaces in that the patterns of their discernment are progressively altered without any resistance. Since technological determinism is merely putting the idea that technology is critical to people’s lives, there are various aspects of discourse that may invoke technological determinism. Social construction is a very critical aspect in invoking technological determinism. Social construction is considered to be a technological determinism since it is capable of explaining a great part of various technologies including Television, Computers, and Photography among others. 4. Identify either a law of supervening social necessity OR a law of suppression of radical potential (these are likely, not fore-grounded in the example; they require an analysis of the broader cultural determinisms for the emergence of this technology).   The law of suppression of radical potential is among the first ideas that are discussed in Winston book. This law relates to misunderstanding of media. The laws state that, when a

See the details Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

See the details - Essay Example Musical Revolution: During his times, Elvis was very passionate about listening to different kind of music. As a result, he became an influencing icon who directly influenced the pop ballads and other varied array of music including, country music, gospel, and African American R&B which he grew listening to on the streets during his times (Cantor, 2005). This aspiration led him to create and develop his own kind of music. He brought a major change to the music industry and the society through his efforts and ambition. He mixed different musical influences into a network of diversity which was never experimented or created by anyone before Elvis. This led him to hold the position of the country’s first Rock and Roll idol that provided the new generation with a diversified musical creation of his own. Elvis career was faced with many highs and lows but he made a remarkable history in the world of music during two most prominent times- from 1955 to 1956 when he was credited for h is musical compositions throughout the nation and around the world. This not only gained him nationwide recognition but it also helped him to gain the international fame (Cantor, 2005). And the second period, dates back to 1970, when he finally settled himself as an icon for producing music in different genres and running successfully his tours and performances at both national and international levels (Brown and Broeske, 1997). Even today after 26 years of his death, Elvis Presley still holds an eminent position in the world of music and he can still be credited as an undisputed â€Å"diva† of Rock& Roll. Elvis never rocked the music industry with his Rock & Roll identity. He was failed to impress Sam Phillips during his recordings at Sun Records in the year 1954. He sang ballads after ballads but he failed to meet the expectations of Sam Phillips who thought of him a young talent who badly failed to compete with the stars like Johnny Ray, Eddie Fisher and many more. However , accidently during the breaks, Elvis fell on singing the unrehearsed version of â€Å"That’s All Right† by the one and only Arthur Crudups. The song is a beautiful composition which projects that how a white man sings the black-influenced tune. It highlights a unique combination of cultures and a very different kind of music that attracted Phillips. This tune as sung by Elvis held his attention. Coining His Influence on Youth and Shaping a New Pop Culture: His musical composition of the song created in 1945 to 1955 revolutionized the national musical industry. During his earliest performances, Elvis started mixing different genres with each other. For example, he added R&B to the country music and vice versa. This helped Elvis to discover a new array of musical compositions and he adapted a new style. He was also criticized for giving rise to a new genre â€Å"Rock& Roll† and eliminating the traditional yet so called pop music. By 1956, Elvis gained the fame as a national star and he was very much known for initiating the rock and roll movement (Cantor, 2005). He set himself as an example of bringing in the change for the youth of his times. Elvis was a new icon for a new generation. He provided the youth of 1950’s with new highly rich musical melodies which were very different from the traditional music or the music of their parents. He coined his own style and sound. He was often called as rebellious, lewd or a revolutionist in a negative

Objections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Objections - Essay Example Or, monetary returns may be provided. Even still, an additional/extra object can be added in the deal as compensation. All this will not only provide the customer a good value for the money spent, it will give him a psychological reassurance that the vendors meant well, and that it would be plausible to come here again. There is nothing greater than winning the allegiance of a customer. For instance, if the customer has come back with the complaint of the studio service, then any of the three options can be exercised. The entire service can be provided again from scratch, or the money can be returned, or some other facility/service/product can be offered to the customer as a token of goodwill and apology. This would show the customer that the intent to provide service is there on part of the vendor, and even though a glitch might have occurred on this occasion, there is every likelihood that the problem will not persist for the times to follow. Another potent method of accomplishing the same is to question and assess the situation. There is a very fine line here between inquiring, and creating a conflict with the client. The former is intended, and the latter must be avoided at all costs.

The Plight of Urban Public Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Plight of Urban Public Education - Essay Example Public schools in the urban areas are grossly understaffed, and lack basic educational equipment that would put the quality of their education at par with other schools. Though deplorable conditions and poor educational standards exist throughout public schools, the predicament is most severe in inner-cities where the populations are mostly made up of minority ethnic groups.2 Urban public schools are allocated fewer resources than suburban schools and lack basic equipment such as laboratories, sanatoria and computers. As a result of this underfunding, urban schools are characterized by high frequencies of school dropouts, low numbers of students graduating, poor performance in standardized examinations, and low academic prospects from the students. Though a big portion of the problem in urban public schools can be blamed on underfunding, there are other societal factors that play a role in the degraded nature of urban public education.3 These problems include lack of jobs, lack of decent housing, lack of proper healthcare, and high crime rates and ethnic stereotypes. In addition, the levels of motivation among teachers and parents is often low in these public urban schools.4 The gravity of the problem is multiplied by the ethnic diversity in urban areas and, therefore, necessity for these schools to offer bilingual education. Changing demographic trends and an increasing number of migrants demand that the schools take the need of students who have trouble reading, writing and comprehending the English language. Urban public schools need urgent and sustainable help if the students are to compete favorably in the job market, and if the quality of their education is to improve. Christian principles recommend kindness and a Samaritan spirit towards those in need.5 In line with this Christian value, the Church must do all it can to ensure that not only do urban dwellers meet their basic human needs but that they

Vanity Fair & Male Vanity Essay Example for Free

Vanity Fair Male Vanity Essay Through the course of history as gender relates to either sex, the flamboyance of either gender is dependent upon culture. The male birds of the Amazon are typically more colorful than their female counterparts, and their mating dance is very unique in its structure, and the female for her part does not have to ‘go through the loops’ of such ritual as the male does. This is true for other animals as well from the battle of rams to the dolphin fights in the ocean; the importance of strength and beauty has dominated the sexual history of animals. This is also true for the human race, and in no other culture and time in history as in the Victorian culture is the human male more ‘colorful’ than the female. The idea of vanity as it is expressed in Vanity Fair will be explored throughout this essay. William Makepeace Thackeray explores this concept in his characters and how vanity, or the ‘color’ of the male gender in the Victorian culture, is the motif of everyday living for such protagonists. This idea will be presented in this essay will textual support from Vanity Fair as well as Laura George’s article The Emergence of the Dandy and Russell A. Fraser’s Pernicious Casuistry: A Study of Character in Vanity Fair. Throughout the course of the novel, Thackeray employs the recurrent theme of the â€Å"dandy† or as George states, â€Å"†¦sparks, fops, beaux, swells, coxcombs, popinjays, macaroni, butterflies†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (George 2), a term that can be used to describe â€Å"men who aspire to be genteel. † The dandy was envisioned by a man who went by the name of George Beau Brummell, as George states, â€Å"†¦Brummell frequently represented all that was abjected by modern masculinity: love of fashion, of fabric, of the shape and cut of one’s clothes. Brummell himself bore a complex relationship to the emerging regime of masculine fashionable austerity† (George 1). By focusing upon this concept of the dandy and the effects it can have upon an individual’s personality, Thackeray decides to focus upon his male characters, Joseph Sedley and George Osborne, in particular. While the other characters within the novel are capable of accepting whatever amount of dandyism they might have, it is these two characters that remain transfixed upon their ability to maintain being dandy, which ultimately lead them to their unfortunate deaths. They were too consumed with thoughts about appearance both physically and socially to the extent it affected their ability to function in the world of â€Å"Vanity Fair†. In other words, these characters are seen being prime examples of how Thackeray’s novel is concerned with how each â€Å"character’s presentation will determine their success or failure†. Soon after Thackeray introduces his readers to the world of Vanity Far, the reader learns too quickly that these characters belonging to the middle class aspire to be part of the aristocracy hence the role of the dandy coming into play. It has often been said that the â€Å"aristocratic dandies, is at once a unique person- the model of dandyhood for all time- an embodiment of a common middle-class fantasy of aristocratic distinction† ( Cole, 137), which is why we see many of Thackeray’s characters constantly finding opportunities to better themselves, and their rank in society. Sir Rawdon Crawley, for example, was the one of few characters belonging to the aristocracy and was happily willing to give it up when he married Miss Rebecca Sharp. In the passage, â€Å"By these attentions, the veteran rake, Rawdon Crawley, found himself coveted into a very happy submissive married man† (191) indicates that while Joseph Sedley and George Osborne would be unhappy had they lost their rank in society, Thackeray illustrates at how some people are content with the simpler things in life, things not involving money. The dandy or in the case of Vanity Fair, Sedly and Osborne were distracted by other things in life, despite their apparent unimportance to livelihood and more to do with ambiance, as George states of the dandy (and as it illustrates the dandy’s vanity in Thackeray’s novel); There are traces of the man of fashion as ‘thing’ usage earlier, but the habit seems to coalesce around the time of the Restoration, and for good reason. Throughout the tumultuous seventeenth century, the relations between masculinity and fashion were violently contested, as the various Stuart courts were accused of conspicuous consumption, luxury, and effeminacy (along with a regrettable tendency to belive in their own divine rights); as Puritans pointed to the theological meanings of clothes; as domestic texatile manufactourers (as opposed to traders) sought an economic voice; and as the stakes and status of imported fabrics changed. It was in this context, as David Kuchta has argues, that Charles II adopted the three piece suit as the new sartorial model for masculinity (George 4) Joseph Sedley is the epitome of a dandy in Thackeray’s novel, and he illustrates of each of these points made by George. It seems that the gaining of wealth is the main preoccupation of the characters in Thackeray’s novel, and it was with the dandy that this wealth was displayed best to the public. Joseph Sedley’s nickname in the novel is ‘Waterloo Sedley’ because of his uncanny obsession with the Duke of Wellington. It seems that throughout the novel, Joseph Sedley, attaches himself to nobility purely on the grounds of their nobility as he relates himself with Lord Tapeworm despite his impecunious state merely because he is a lord. Joseph Sedley pays extra attention to his appearance, more so than the pages describing the women getting prepared to go out. In all, the essence of a dandy is one whose ego is larger than his humility and this is exceedingly true for Joseph Sedley as he does not concern himself with other’s judgments (except if they are noble) and eats and drinks and parties in a constant orgy around London (when he is in London). He does not like military life and is said to quaver at the sound of a canon at one point in the novel. Joseph Sedley fears any authority figure who could cut him down in front of nobility (such as his father) and he only pays attention to his own appearance and not to any politics, or other socially engaging conversation. Also, Joseph Sedley’s egoism is so large and his dandy state corresponds to this that he does not change throughout the course of the novel. Joseph Sedley believes that his state of being is appropriate and he is happy being who and what he is to care to change. It is through this fault of being a dandy and having such a large ego and such a selfish personality that Becky is able to ensnare him into marriage. With Rawdon Crawley’s rejection of the aristocratic ideal, Thackeray uses this to portray the idea of the dandy being solely a middle-class virtue. It appears that this â€Å" flamboyant aristocratic model of the eighteenth century was gradually rejected and supplanted by a restored and virtuous† (Reed) high class, which is why characters like Lord Steyne can still be considered dandy without sacrificing their own ideals; even though, he tries to exude his fantasies of Rebecca. Again, none of his actions can be compared to those of George Osborne. For example, when Dobbin publicly embarrasses George about the lack of affection he has towards his fiancee Amelia, George decides to prove his affections by purchasing a gift for his dear Amelia. Although George’s act of kindness is provoked as a gesture to prove his feelings for Amelia to the ever judgmental William Dobbin, he still decides to pursue what Thackeray displays as being a mockery of the middle-class gentleman. A true gentleman would not need to borrow money from his friend as George is seen doing when deciding to buy Amelia’s gift, to a man he is already trying to prove himself. George’s inability to conjure up the sufficient funds indicates his lack of knowledge of what it means to be dandy. In order to truly exude the essence of being a dandy, the use of flamboyance displayed in clothing as well as a countenounce of style must be utilized, which it seems George lacks as his countenance is spurred by jealousy and a certain essence of revenge and a little pride in his buying Amelia a gift, not as a dandy would buy a gift for the purpose of sharing their flamboyance but more to prove another man wrong, which is more ‘white-collar’ than noble (as the nobility in the definition of the dandy was the main element in society they wanted to portray). Here it seems that George, in the analogy of the animal kingdom and the male having to display his power and beauty in order to waylay other men from taking his choice in female, George is truly playing the part of the dominant male. Thus, his definition of a dandy may be split in half. His actions speak towards being too masculine and paying too much attention to the jealousy and revenge and pride in his nature on how much he loves his girl, while the other part of him is paying strict attention to his dandy nature in him buying her a gift in order to win her affections, thus ‘dancing’ for her. However it is in his intentions with the gift that George can most decidedly not be a dandy. In order to have a true lack of definition of a dandy to apply to George Osborne, a more thorough review of the main definition of a dandy is needed, as George writes, Anxieties about young sparks selling land in order to waste money on the transitory notions of fashion date at least to the Renaissance, but in the wake of the Puritan Commonwealth and in the midst of concern about Stuart affiliations with the French court, the political stakes of fashionable choices seemed particularly stark†¦Addison and Steel were particularly annoyed by the fops who troubled boundaries they were working to stabilize. That is, as fashionable consumption enriched manufacturers and shopkeepers at the expense of the aristocracy, Addison and Steele sough tot portray fashion itself as feminine in particular ways: as prone to ungovernable appetites, unreasonable fancies, and as generally wasting in its seductive powers. Men who gave into its allure risked becoming feminine, or risked losing their humanity altogether. The figure of the Romantic –era dandy, then, addressed old concerns, stirred up old fears, and challenged strongly defended distinctions between masculinity and fashion (George 5). According then to this statement, George’s obsession with proving himself to his fellow male friends would put him the category of half a dandy as he does not display all of the necessary traits that being a true dandy entails. However, it is his vanity that truly defines George’s personality. His vanity on how he will appear to his friends is what initiates his gift-giving and thus, it is vanity that is the main propellant to this character’s impetus on most of his actions in the course of the novel. His vanity in his own ego just like Sedley’s drives this character forward in Thackeray’s work, and it is vanity which engulfs him in relationship with Amelia. By failing to exhibit many of the traits of what defines a gentleman throughout the novel, George is seen trying to hold on to this idea of being a dandy, a trait he obviously lacks. It is in his pursuits that Thackeray appears to be a making a mockery of George and what he believes makes him superior to his much hated rival, Rebecca. However, the two of them are very much alike, each character is seen as taking advantage of each opportunity to better their position in society, and it is their pursuits that Thackeray allows the English class system to shine through in his novel. For instance, when Rebecca is seen writing a letter to her beloved Amelia about her first encounter with Rawdon Crawley where she writes â€Å"Your Indian Muslin and your pink silk, dearest Amelia, are said to become me very well. They are a good deal worn now; but you know, we poor girls cannot afford des fraiches toilettes† (Thackeray 115), Thackeray has her ending the letter with the story of her scarf. This scarf does not represent a gift, but a class distinction. He wants to remind his audience of the different privileges available to the middle class, and it is through the use of the dandy that his message is conveyed. In Rebecca’s position as a â€Å"penniless governess† her only exposure to anything Indian would be this scarf that Amelia herself did not want. This scarf appears to be Amelia indirectly displaying her thoughts of the lower class believing them to only be worthy of her trash—or it could also be her tactless manner and her own inability to see beyond the scope of her own world and thus her giving this as a gift is her ignorance being displayed in Thackeray’s novel and how privileged women are not always the smartest despite their positions. Interestingly, Rebecca took it as an act of kindness, and as something of value. It appears that by her taking advantage of the scarf it is her way of holding on to some piece of the middle class, her wearing of the garment is a way to fool people of the reality of her situation. Despite her tactless manner, it seems that Amelia is one of the only redeeming character’s in Vanity Fair, again this may be attributed to her ignorance, as Fraser writes

Effects of Depression on Brain Function

Effects of Depression on Brain Function Depression The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) diagnose children and adolescents with major depression with signs that include loss of interest and sadness for two weeks straight. Psychologists usually will also look for at least five more symptoms on top of the other two symptoms. These include â€Å"changes in sleeping or eating habits (weight and energy), psychomotor agitation or retardation, feelings of worthlessness and guilt, trouble thinking or paying attention, recurrent thoughts of death, or suicidal ideation and attempts† (Bujoreanu, Benhayon, and Szigethy, 2011, p. 548). This paper will focus on comparison of normal brain function and the brain function of an individual with depression, negative effects of daily functioning living with depression, assessments that are used for diagnoses and treatment, and appropriate treatment options and coping mechanism for individuals with depression. Comparison between Normal Brain Function and Depressed Brain Function Neuropsychological research has shown that emotion is controlled by the right cerebrum which means that the â€Å"right-posterior region of the cerebrum is specialized for the perception of emotional information, regardless of valence† (Shenal, Harrison, Demaree, 2003, p. 34). In normal brain functioning, the right cerebrum also controls arousal and attention. Other research has shown that there is a balance of positive and negative emotions between the left and right cerebrum. The left cerebrum processes positive emotions while the right cerebrum processes negative emotions (Shenal et al., 2003). EEG asymmetries have been examined with individuals that have depression and have found there is an increased activation in the right-frontal lobe that is relative to left-hemisphere activation (Shenal et al., 2003). Other studies have shown individuals with depression have different hemisphere activation by increased right-hemisphere activation or decreased left-hemisphere activation. Individuals with depression from left-frontal dysfunction will have problems planning and arranging information. Depression from right-frontal dysfunction may have impaired nonverbal fluency. Negative Effects of Daily Functioning Living with Depression Major depression can have a big effect on children or adolescent’s ability to function on a day to day manner. There are a lot of negative effects to depression that are important to recognize right away for help. Some of the effects of depression include â€Å"change of eating habits, change in sleeping habits (sleeping too much, not sleeping very much), irritability, social withdrawal, trouble paying attention, and feelings of sadness† (Bujoreanu et al., 2011, p. 548). If depression is not treated, this can lead to â€Å"family dysfunction, academic impairment, and psychosocial difficulties† (Bujoreanu et al., 2011, p. 548). There is also the chance that the depression can continue into adulthood if the family is not aware or informed of the symptoms the child is displaying. Assessments that are Used for Diagnoses and Treatment Neuropsychologists are now starting to find new ways to accurately diagnose depression in individuals as well as finding out if depression treatments are actually helping individuals with the disorder. Depression is now being diagnosed by a blood test and neuroimaging (fMRI) is being used to examine neural circuitry in adolescents with depression. The blood test is a new technique to psychiatry that was approved in 2011. This diagnostic tool is one way to find out if an individual has major depressive disorder without the medical professional being biased or not able to get a lot of information from the individual. The diagnostic tool looks at the levels of ethanolamine phosphate in the patient’s blood to give an indication that the patient has the disorder. Studies have shown that people with depression have low levels of ethanolamine phosphate (Verma, Kaur, David, 2012). At this point, the blood test is very expensive or is slow to get the results back to see if an individual has depression. Neuropsychologists as well as health physicians can use this assessment as the first step in determining if the patient has major depressive disorder. Once the blood tests indicate the disorder, the neuropsychologist and health professional can refer the patient to a medical professional that specializes in depression. The blood test can be used to help the medical professionals in making a diagnosis and to find the best treatment for the patient (Verma et al., 2012). The second assessment that is being used by neuropsychologist for depression is neuroimaging (fMRI). One study in particular used an fMRI to compare adolescents with depression and healthy adolescents on â€Å"neural responses to fearful facial expressions† before treatment (Cullen, 2012, p. 348). The study was repeated again after eight weeks with the depressed adolescents on fluxetine (antidepressant). Research showed that adolescents with depression increase the activation in the amygdala looking at fearful faces (Cullen, 2012). After the treatment, there was no difference between adolescents with depression and healthy adolescents. This study has opened new doors to further study other depression treatments. The fMRI was able to show the difference the fluxetine had on the brain to help adolescents with negative effectives that interfere with daily living. The next steps would need to look at what can affect before and after treatment findings. Some of these include â€Å"age at assessment, illness status, treatment history, and type of treatment† (Cullen, 2012, p. 350). When these effects are looked at with more research, this will bring clinical advancements to the neuropsychological field. Appropriate Treatment Options When it comes to appropriate treatment options for children and adolescents with depression, there are two different kinds that have been the most effective. These two different kinds of treatments are psychotherapeutic treatments and psychopharmacological treatments. The psychotherapeutic treatments are therapy treatments to work with children and adolescents to help them function normally in their daily lives. Evidence-based treatments (EBT) are â€Å"interventions or techniques that have produced therapeutic change in controlled trials† (Bujoreanu et al., 2011, p. 549). Common evidence-based treatments used with depressed children and adolescents include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy-adolescent (IPT-A). Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been found out to be the most effective psychotherapeutic treatment with children and adolescents with depression. Aaron Beck created cognitive-behavioral therapy and focused on how â€Å"thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are inter-related and individuals can make positive changes in how someone feels by changing what they do or think† (Bujoreanu et al., 2011, p. 549). Children and adolescents work with a therapist to learn new skills and explore different ideas that are discussed during sessions. Interpersonal Therapy-Adolescent (IPT-A) is a treatment that does takes place for a short period of time. The therapy focuses on the clients’ depressive symptoms and the interpersonal context in which they occur (Bujoreanu et al., 2011, p. 550). To help with the depressive symptoms when they occur, the therapist helps the child or adolescent learn problem-solving and communication skills. Psychopharmacological treatments involve the medications that are appropriate for children and adolescents with depression. These include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), norepinephrine-dopamine reupatake inhibitor (NDRI), and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). SSRIs are the most common and first kind of drugs that will be used to treat child and adolescent depression. Fluoxetine and escitalopram are FDA approved for children with depression, but there are also other medications that are not intended for depression that have been successful (Bujoreanu et al., 2011). When picking an SSRI, it is important to look at family history and how the drug affects the child or adolescent. When SSRI’s do not work with the children and adolescents, there are other drugs that can be taken into consideration. Adolescents that have depression with bupropion would use a NDRI to help with the symptoms. Another drug category that can help with depression is SNRIs that include taking duloxetine and venlafaxine that are sedating. When one kind of treatment does not fully treat the patient, combined therapy of medication and therapy are used. Therapy is usually the first step taken in treatment before medication is considered. Alternative Treatments There are a lot of adolescents that are experiencing depression symptoms that are not able to receive the standard treatments. This can be from the adolescent’s family not having insurance or the families insurance does not cover certain treatment options. These alternative treatments that could help these individuals with depression include interpersonal therapy and attachment-based family therapy, the artistically creative approaches, and existential therapy (McGlasson, 2012). The interpersonal therapy focuses on the different relationships that are in the adolescent’s life. If there is not a healthy relationship, this can lead to depression. This therapy focuses on personal issues that cause the different relationships to not be healthy and finds skills the adolescent can work on to improve those relationships. The attachment-based family therapy is where the family, the adolescent, and a trained counselor work together to build a healthy relationship. This also includes skills that that will be learned in sessions that will help in the long run (McGlasson, 2012). The artistically creative approaches include art therapy and music to help adolescents express themselves in a creative way. Art therapy allows the youth to communicate on a deeper level than just talking about the issues with a counselor. This form of therapy might feel less threatening to the adolescent and a way they can control (McGlasson, 2012). Music is something that adolescents are familiar with and feel safe with being used in therapy. Music lowers stress and can help the therapist in understanding different moods that the client is experiencing (McGlasson, 2012, p. 19). Existential therapy has four themes to the treatment. These themes are â€Å"the uniqueness and freedom of the individual, the recognition of suffering as part of the human experience, an emphasis on the here-and-now to discover one’s meaning and identity, and a commitment to discover and develop one’s talent† (McGlasson, 2012, p. 19). The themes all focus on the individual and how he or she is becoming. Therapists would focus on existential concerns that go on in the adolescent’s life and find ways to explore the issues. Coping Mechanism for Individuals with Depression There are healthy and unhealthy coping strategies that children and adolescents do to deal with depression. The healthy and unhealthy coping strategies both involve the same three core categories (emotion-focused coping, problem-focused coping, and avoidant coping). It all depends on what the children and adolescents have picked up from others and what they have learned on their own to determine if it is healthy or unhealthy. Unhealthy coping strategies usually fall under the emotion-focused coping and avoidant coping. Emotion-focused coping is â€Å"any response aimed at reducing or managing the negative feelings that arise in response to the threat or loss† (Hayat, 2013, p. 153). Research has shown that common emotion-focused coping strategies that can develop depression and suicidal ideation more are self blame and emotional support (Horwitz, Hill, King, 2011). Avoidant coping involves a strategy that avoids the depression symptoms and suicidal ideation. Common avoidant coping strategies that are unhealthy and can develop the disorder more are behavioral disengagement and denial (Horwitz et al., 2011). Avoidant coping is usually avoided when learning new strategies that can help with depression. When children and adolescents learn healthy ways to cope with depression, most of the strategies fall under the category problem-focused coping. This category of coping strategies is defined as â€Å"attempting to deal constructively with the stressor or circumstances itself† (Hayat, 2013, p. 153). A medical professional can help the child or adolescent learn active coping strategies, plan different coping strategies that fit with the stressor or circumstance, and use instrumental support (Horwitz et al., 2011). For emotion-focused coping healthy alternatives would learning wishful thinking and seeking emotional support from family and friends that will not make the individual feel worse about themselves. These coping strategies can be learned by a medical professional that can work with the child or adolescent with depression. While there was only a few coping strategies mentioned, other coping strategies might be used depending on the situation of the individual. Preventive Measures for Individuals at Risk of Depression It is important that society is aware of what factors will identify high-risk adolescents for depression. When factors that can lead to depression are understood, steps can be taken to help reduce the risk of the disorder developing. At this point, research has shown that biological, psychological and social risk factors can trigger depression. Newer research has also found that neuroticism (N) (personality trait) is associated with mood disorders that can risk adolescents is developing depression (Kuyken, Watkins, Holden, Cook, 2006). High neuroticism individuals will show more mood changes and will need to respond adaptively (Kuyken et al., 2006). Kuyken’s et al., (2006) study included four different hypotheses to find out what risk factors would determine if adolescents will develop depression. They hypotheses are (1) â€Å"Adolescents at risk for depression (as indicated by high N) will report greater rumination than adolescents at low risk but lower rumination than currently depressed adolescents, (2) among currently depressed adolescents, elevated levels of rumination will be associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, (3) the relationship between N and depressive symptoms will be partially mediated by rumination in cross-sectional analyses, with higher rumination associated with more depressive symptoms, and (4) the effect of rumination on depression will be moderated by gender, being greater for female compared to male adolescents† (Kuyken, et al., 2006, p. 42). The results indicated that at risk adolescents for depression have more ruminated than healthy adolescents. At risk adolescents and current depressed adolescents were comparable with high neuroticism personal trait. Adolescents that found out they had depression show rumination was connected to severe depressive symptoms. This study found that rumination and depression symptoms were the same for females and males. Conclusion Depression is a complex disorder that is now fully starting to be understood. Neuropsychologists are able to see what parts of the brain are impaired from the disorder as well as assessments that help to diagnose and treat depression accurately. With this information medical professionals find the best treatment options for the individual and help with coping strategies that are not unhealthy to use. This information has also made it easier to determine if adolescents are at risk of developing the disorder. Determining if adolescents have depression is still new, but with more research, medical professionals will hopefully be able to reduce the amount of youth with the disorder. References Bujoreanu, S., Benhayon, D., Szigethy, E. (2011). Treatment of depression in children and adolescents. Pediatric Annals, 40(11), 548. doi:10.3928/00904481-20111007-05 Cullen, K. R. (2012). Imaging adolescent depression treatment. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 169(4), 348. Hayat, I. (2013). Stressful life events, depression and coping strategies. Journal of Research in Social Sciences, 1(2), 148. Horwitz, A. G., Hill, R. M., King, C. A. (2011). Specific coping behaviors in relation to adolescent depression and suicidal ideation. Journal of Adolescence, 34(5), 1077-1085. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2010.10.004 Kuyken, W., Watkins, E., Holden, E., Cook, W. (2006). Rumination in adolescents at risk for depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 96(1), 39-47. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2006.05.017 McGlasson, T. D. (2012). Listening clearly: Alternative treatments for adolescent depression. The Prevention Researcher, 19(4), 18. Shenal, B. V., Harrison, D. W., Demaree, H. A. (2003). The neuropsychology of depression: A literature review and preliminary model. Neuropsychology Review, 13(1), 33-42. doi:10.1023/A:1022300622902 Verma, R. K., Kaur, S., David, S. R. (2012). An instant diagnosis for depression by blood test. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research : JCDR, 6(9), 1612. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2012/4758.2579