assignment 5

Abstract

Introduction

Exploring Social Determinants and Depression: A Multivariate Analysis

Depression is one of the leading causes of disability, affecting about 280 million people worldwide (Paiva, T. et al.,2023). It is characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest, and cognitive impairment, with significant social and economic consequences. Approximately 4.3% of the global population is affected by depression, which has substantial financial and health impacts on the global burden of disease (Liu, J.et al.,2024). Research highlights that various social health determinants, such as sleep patterns, social support, loneliness, financial stress, age, gender and education, strongly influence the onset, progression, and severity of depression (Onyekachi et al., 2024). WHO reports higher rates of depression cases in high-income countries, while many cases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) go under diagnosed and untreated due to limited mental health resources and stigma (WHO,2021). Due to the growing complexity of mental health issues globally, examining the relationship between social health determinants and depression is essential for targeted interventions and policies.

#Cronbach's alpha 
cronbach.alpha(df_FI[,c("d20", "d21", "d22", "d23", "d24", "d25","d26", "d27")],na.rm=T)

## 
## Cronbach's alpha for the 'df_FI[, c("d20", "d21", "d22", "d23", "d24", "d25", "d26", "d27")]' data-set
## 
## Items: 8
## Sample units: 1563
## alpha: 0.758

Print the result

cronbach_result

Boxplot

Core Message

This boxplot illustrates the distribution of depression scores by gender among Finland participants. It shows that females have a higher median depression score than males, along with more variability and extreme outliers. This visual supports the hypothesis that women report higher levels of depression than men, aligning with the statistical analysis and existing literature.

Appearance

The graphic should be a boxplot that displays the distribution of depression scores across gender groups.
Type of plot: Boxplot
Y: Depression score (CES-D8)
X: Gender (Male, Female)
Grouping: By gender (using color to visually differentiate the two groups)
Visual elements:
- Box shows the interquartile range (25th–75th percentile)
- Horizontal line inside box = median depression score
- Whiskers indicate the range within 1.5× IQR
- Dots represent outliers (individuals with unusually high depression scores)

This plot allows for a clear comparison of the central tendency, spread, and outliers in depression scores between men and women.

Graph

  ggplot(df_FI, aes(x = as.factor(gndr), y = depression)) +
    geom_boxplot(fill = c("deepskyblue", "cornflowerblue"), width = .4) +
    labs(title="Depression by Gender",
         subtitle= "ESS Round 11",
         x= "Gender",
         y= "Depression Score",
         caption= "MSW & UM", 
         fill="Gender") +
    theme_minimal()

Conclusion

These graphics provide insight into the distribution of depression, gender differences in clinical depression, and the strongest predictors of depression among Finland respondents in ESS Round 11.