Topic Ideas for a Research Paper
These suggestions can lead you to ideas for more in-depth topics that you can research further in the library and online.
What Is Depression?
Everyone experiences times when they feel a little bit blue or sad. This is a normal part of being human. Depression, however, is a medical condition that is quite different from everyday moodiness. Your paper may explore the basics or delve deeper into the definition of clinical depression or the difference between clinical depression and sadness.
Different Types of Depression
There are several different types of depression that are dependent on how an individual’s depression symptoms manifest themselves. Depression symptoms may vary in severity or in what is causing them. For instance, major depressive disorder (MDD) may have no identifiable cause, while postpartum depression is typically linked to women and childbirth. Depressive symptoms may also be part of an illness called bipolar disorder. This includes fluctuations between depressive episodes and a state of extreme elation called mania. Bipolar disorder is a topic that offers many research opportunities, from its definition and its causes to associated risks, symptoms, and treatment.
Causes of Depression
The possible causes of depression are many and not yet well understood. However, depression most likely results from an interplay of genetic vulnerability and environmental factors. Your paper could explore one or more of these causes and reference the latest research on the topic. For instance, how does an imbalance in brain chemistry or poor nutrition relate to depression? Is there a relationship between the stressful, busier lives of today’s society and the rise of depression? How can grief or a major medical condition lead to overwhelming sadness and depression?
Who Is at Risk for Depression?
Certain risk factors may make a person more prone to developing depression, such as a family history of depression, adverse childhood experiences, stress, illness, and gender. This is not a complete list of all risk factors, however, it’s a good place to start. The growing rate of depression in children, teenagers, and young adults is an interesting subtopic you can focus on as well. Whether you dive into the reasons behind the increase in rates of depression or discuss the treatment options that are safe for young people, there is a lot of research available in this area and many unanswered questions to consider.
Depression Signs and Symptoms
The signs of depression are those outward manifestations of the illness that a doctor can observe when they examine a patient. For example, a lack of emotional responsiveness is a visible sign. On the other hand, symptoms are subjective things about the illness that only the patient can observe, such as feelings of guilt or sadness. An illness such as depression is often invisible to the outside observer. That is why it is very important for patients to make an accurate accounting of all of their symptoms so their doctor can diagnose them properly. You may explore these “invisible” symptoms of depression in adults or explore how depression symptoms can be different in children.
How Is Depression Diagnosed?
In some ways, the diagnosis of depression is more of an art than a science. Doctors must generally rely upon the patient’s set of symptoms and what they can observe about them during their examination in order to make a diagnosis. If you’d like to pursue this topic, you may want to start with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The fifth edition, known as DSM-5, offers a very detailed explanation that guides doctors to a diagnosis. You can also compare the current model of diagnosing depression to historical methods of diagnosis—how have these updates improved the way depression is treated?
Treatment Options for Depression
The first choice for depression treatment is generally an antidepressant medication. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most popular choice because they can be quite effective and tend to have fewer side effects than other types of antidepressants. Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is another effective and common choice. It is especially efficacious when combined with antidepressant therapy. Certain other treatments, such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), are most commonly used for patients who do not respond to more common forms of treatment. Exploring these treatments can be a good topic for your paper.
A Word From Verywell
The topic of depression really can take you down many different roads. When making your final decision on which to pursue in your paper, it’s often helpful to begin listing a few areas that pique your interest. From there, consider doing a little preliminary research. You may come across something that grabs your attention like a new study, a controversial topic you didn’t know about, or something that hits a personal note.
