Question

Hazel, a psychology student, notices that her pen pal from another country has been reporting a lot of physical symptoms, such as weight loss, insomnia, and poor appetite. However, her pen pal never states that they feel sad or a lack of pleasure. Is Hazel's thinking that her pen pal may be depressed a good guess?

a. Yes, it may be depression because there may be some cultural differences in how her pen pal is expressing it.
b. No, DSM-5 states you have to experience a low level of sadness and lack of pleasure to have depression.
c. No, depression is an American mental illness, no other countries experience it.
d. Yes, it may be depression but she needs to ask her pen pal if they have cognitive difficulties.

Answer 1

Hazel's guess that her pen pal may be depressed is reasonable, as depression can manifest with various symptoms, including physical ones, and people from different cultures may express their distress differently. The correct answer is option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

Hazel is wondering if her pen pal might be experiencing depression despite not expressing sadness or lack of pleasure. The correct answer to Hazel's question is a. Yes, it may be depression because there may be some cultural differences in how her pen pal is expressing it. Different cultures have diverse ways of expressing distress, and not all individuals with depression exhibit the classic symptoms of sadness or anhedonia (lack of pleasure).

Depression symptoms can vary greatly and include a range of physical, emotional, and cognitive issues, such as weight loss, insomnia, poor appetite, and difficulty concentrating. Even without expressed sadness, if someone is experiencing a significant number of these symptoms, it might be an indication of depression.