WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF DEPRESSION: THEIR LESSONS FOR US

In this study of depression four women who had previously received a diagnosis of depression were interviewed. From their interviews a chronological retelling of their stories was written, a thematic analysis, an examination of the themes of theoretical explanations of the gender difference in the incidence of depression, and an interpretation of the meaning of each woman'c story and themes. The manuscript of each woman's story was sent to her for review, asking her to pay particular attention to how well the story fit or did not fit her experience of depression. Each woman was interviewed a second time, allowing her to collaborate in the telling and interpretation of her story, as well as enabling the researcher to gain a clearer understanding of her theme. Commonalities in all four women's experiences, themes, interpretations, and theoretical implications were written about an