Contemporary Issues in Psychology Report - Mental Health

This report delves into contemporary issues in psychology, specifically focusing on the prevalence of depression within the built environment. It explores the psychological distress associated with urban and residential designs, identifying key risk factors contributing to mental health challenges. The report examines the impact of environmental factors, such as childhood trauma, brain structure, loss, abuse, and medical conditions, on depression. It further suggests design strategies for urban areas, including towns, hospitals, and mental health respite units, as well as residential environments, aiming to improve mental well-being. The report emphasizes the importance of green spaces, positive environments, and social support in mitigating the effects of depression and fostering better mental health outcomes, drawing upon research from various sources to support its findings and recommendations.

CONTEMPORARY
ISSUES IN
PSYCHOLOGY

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
1. Choose one type of psychological distress that is prevalent in the built environment and explain
why it occurs...............................................................................................................................3
2 What are the main psychological distress risk factors in the built environment.....................4
3. How could we design an urban area ( town, hospital or mental health respite unit) that improves the
mental health (drawn with written captions)...............................................................................5
4 How could we design a residential (house or street) environment that improves mental health
(drawn with written captions).....................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Contemporary issues they are defined as current issues which are affecting places and peoples
which is left unresolved. The geographical issue could be problem, concern, topic or in addition
argument between the cultural and natural environment. The psychology contemporary issues can be
world poverty, abortion, hate speech, capital punishment, drug legalization, suicide, immigration, gun
rights. In this report would be choosing psychological distress is depression. Depression is demonstrated
as mood disorder or constant feeling of hopelessness and sadness, which probably affects the life of a
person or being self-isolated is defined as depression (Csikszentmihalhi, and et. al., 2020)
MAIN BODY
1. Choose one type of psychological distress that is prevalent in the built environment and explain why it
occurs.
Depression is defined as a constant feeling of sadness, which do not let individuals to involve in
the activities and loss of interest, they do not interact with the peoples, it could be classified as mood
disorder. The loss of precious things could turn into depression. The centres of disease they have been
estimated 8.1 percent adults in America at the age of 20 they went through depression from 2013 to
2016. Depression lowers the productivity and inhibit the energy in an individual. This is complex and
serious disease for the population. Peoples usually see some accidents then they go into the trauma.
There are many causes of depression which are mentioned below;
 Childhood trauma – If an individual had experienced serious and adverse experience during the
childhood, the past events affect the life and it leads to the depression.
 Brain structure – If the front lobe of the brain is less active this could be a greatest reason for
the depression.
 Loss or death – If an individual has lost their loved ones, the grief sorrow may lead to the
depression.
 Abuse – The abuse of sexual, emotional and physical they make people exposed to depression.
 Drug abuse and alcohol
 Sleep disorders
 Medication- Drugs like isotretinoin they are specifically used for treating acne or the
corticosteroids they would increase the risk of the depression.
 Medical conditions – Insomnia,

Symptoms
 Mood – irritability, restlessness and anxiousness.
 Behaviour – loss of interest.
 Cognitive ability – An individual cannot concentrate and might feel difficulty in performing
tasks.
 Feeling nervous and cranky and sad.
Globally there are 350 million peoples suffering from depression. In the U.S the age group 15 to 44 ,
their major depression ids leading to the disability. Approximately 30 percent of the people those were
suffering from depressive illness commit suicide. In the U.S it is evaluated that 16.2 million adults had
depressive episodes in 2016, so data is showing 6.7 percent of the population suffered from depression.
Depression is becoming leading cause of disability across the world. The number of women is more
affected then men. There are 264 million people those are suffering from depression across the world.
There is various effective pharmacological treatment are available for the both depression moderate and
severe. Depression can be reduced by interacting with the peoples and by taking participate in the
activities. This could be reduced by taking counselling or taking with the peoples those have active
listening skills. If psychotherapy and good sleep is taken this could also bring good outcome in terms of
depression. Depression can also be treated with antidepressant drugs which include citalopram,
sertraline and fluoxetine (Palmer, and et. al., 2018).
2 What are the main psychological distress risk factors in the built environment.
There are some risk factors of depression have been mentioned below;
Death of loved ones- The grief and sorrow this may bring severe symptoms of depression which include
feeing of hopelessness and racing thoughts of suicide.
Genetics – A family history of depression may be counted as a risk factor (Wheatle, Commodore, and
et. al., 2019).
Abuse – abuse in the past like emotional abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse this leads to the
depression.
Conflict – Dispute in the relationships may bring depression.
The physical illness and changes in life, constant sadness and trauma they are the risk factors of
depression. These all-risk factor can be treated by taking psychotherapy, and maintaining healthy died
taking proper sleep and doing interaction with the peoples all these terms can reduce the risk factors of
symptoms.

3. How could we design an urban area [town, hospital or mental health respite unit] that improves the
mental health [drawn with written captions].
There is various deal of work how urban areas could improve mental health which includes
reducing lungs disease and obesity. Cities affect the mental health of the humans and the issues of
mental health such as depression and bipolar disorder they bring greatest impact on cities. The design of
urban they probably hold the population suffering from mental health. There are some evidences have
been seen that urban design helps in promoting support and good mental health and they inhibit mental
illness.
Urban design green space
The access toward the natural setting may improve the mental health, green space and mental health
they are interrelated with each other. If a person with depression have greenness around this could bring
better results and improve mental health.
Effective for - Reducing stress, reduction in depression as well as improve cognitive functions.
Urban design points – In the urban designs should be combined with green space because the
green space have the biggest impact on the mental health. If all the surroundings are filled with greenery
or greenness this improves the mental health such as depression (Khodarahmi, and et. al.,2019).
4 How could we design a residential [house or street] environment that improves mental health [drawn
with written captions].
Designing a house environment for the purpose of improving mental health
The person suffering from depression should get the positive environment for the family members.
There shouldn't be communication gap between the patient and families. Try providing positive
atmosphere for the person suffering from depression in this a way such type of positivity improves the
mental health. Interaction with the patient is most important, have a good combination with the patient
and support him/ her mentally and emotionally this way could improve the mental health and bring the
betterment (Toassa, and et. al.,2020).
CONCLUSION
As per discussed above depression is a mood disorder, presently affecting the peoples across the
world. Therefore, it should not be left untreated, medicaments and psychotherapy and counselling
should be taken for the reduction of depression. Some of the important measures to control

contemporary issues of psychology, is positive healthy environment and healthy life style with
emotional and social support.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Toassa, and et. al.,2020. THE GOLDEN AGE OF SOVIET PSYCHOLOGY IN THE MIRROR OF
CONTEMPORARY MARXIST PSYCHOLOGY IN BRAZIL. A History of Marxist Psychology: The
Golden Age of Soviet Science, p.131.
Khodarahmi, and et. al.,2019. Book Review: Creativity and Making in Early Childhood: Challenging
Practitioner Perspectives. Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education, 14(2), pp.51-53.
Csikszentmihalhi, and et. al., 2020. Finding flow: The psychology of engagement with everyday life.
Hachette UK.
Wheatle, Commodore, and et. al., 2019. Reaching back to move forward: The historic and
contemporary role of student activism in the development and implementation of higher education
policy. The Review of Higher Education, 42(5), pp.5-35.
Palmer, and et. al., 2018. Handbook of coaching psychology: A guide for practitioners. Routledge.