A Better Understanding of Islamic Finance - Free Essay Example

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of Islamic Finance and specially Islamic banking. I have tried to trace the historic root of the Islamic banking system and how now it is shaping the global banking system specifically in the UK. In relation to the current prevailing banking system, the Islamic Banking system is free of interest. One might wonder what the incentive to lend money would be. Others may not understand what benefits could be had by putting their savings into a bank account. While Muslims do not believe in charging or earning interest, they have developed a very complex alternative that is being implemented all over the eastern world. Started from just an idea, this new way of banking quickly spread through the Muslim countries, and has continued to expand all over Europe and Asia. Although the system is proving to the West that it can work, it is still trying to iron out some of the inefficiencies that it currently has. In recent years, Islamic finance has grown rapidly across the world, conservatively estimated at 10-15% a year1. Given the large number of modern Muslim population (around 3% of the population) in the UK and position as one of the leading international financial centres, it is no surprise that part of this growth has taken place in London which is now seen as an emerging global ‘hub for Islamic finance. At the same time, the government has wanted to give the UKs Muslim community access to financial services consistent with their religious beliefs. The Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) have been closely involved in these developments. To reach the goal simple examination of the Islamic finance in UK banking sector, analysis as well as risk to carry out to identify the critical success factor for implementation of the proposal and to what extent are these critical success factor likely to be different in financial and banking service sector. Chapter 1 1.1 Introduction Islamic finance adheres to the teachings of Islam, the Muslim religion. The guiding principles for the Islamic financial system are a set of rules and laws, collectively referred to as Shariah (Shariah Guidelines), guiding economic, social, political, and cultural aspects of Islamic societies. Shariah originates from the rules dictated by the Quran and its practices, and explanations rendered (more commonly known as Sunnah) by the Prophet Muhammad. Further elaboration of the rules is provided by scholars in Islamic jurisprudence within the framework of the Quran and Sunnah. In a sense, the combination of law and finance in Islam is inevitable. In practice, Shariah means that Islamic finance is asset backed, so the foundation of Islamic banking is asset management. Once the basic tenet of Islamic finance (i.e., the prohibition of riba, or interest) is understood, the most common activities are no different to those undertaken by many conventional banks. In the last couple of deca des the Islamic world has embraced the move towards a global economy. As a result Islamic financial institutes have began to look for ways to provide a broader range of financial services, and products to its people that, are Shariah compatible and yield equally high returns as their counterparts around the world. Islamic Finance is an up and coming discipline and is constantly changing. As a result there is a lot of uncertainty about how to teach it, understanding it and the concepts behind it, how to do business with this method of finance. In spite of this, it is gaining wide spread recognition around the world as more and more people recognize it as a form of finance as well as the benefits of working with Muslim business men and women. Investment in companies with core activities linked to alcohol, pork, insurance, gambling, tobacco, pornography and the arms trade are not allowed. According to many prominent Islamic Fund companies, a Muslim investor cannot invest in the s hares of a company if the non-Shariah compliant sources of income contribute 5 percent or more of the companys total income. 1.2 Historical development It seems that the history of interest-free banking could be divided into two parts. First, when it still remained an idea; second, when it became a reality by private initiative in some countries and by law in others. We will discuss the two periods separately. The last decade has seen a marked decline in the establishment of new Islamic banks and the established banks seem to have failed to live up to the expectations. The literature of the period begins with evaluations and ends with attempts at finding ways and means of correcting and overcoming the problems encountered by the existing banks. 1.1.1 Interest-free banking as an idea Interest-free banking seems to be of very recent origin. The earliest references to the reorganisation of banking on the basis of profit sharing rather than interest are found in Anwar Qureshi (1946), Naiem Siddiqi (1948) and Mahmud Ahmad (1952) in the late forties, followed by a more elaborate exposition by Mawdudi in 1950 (1961).2 Muhammad Hamidullahs 1944, 1955, 1957 and 1962 writings too should be included in this category. They have all recognised the need for commercial banks and the evil of interest in that enterprise, and have proposed a banking system based on the concept of Mudarabha profit and loss sharing. In the next two decades interest-free banking attracted more attention, partly because of the political interest it created in Pakistan and partly because of the emergence of young Muslim economists. Works specifically devoted to this subject began to appear in this period. The first such work is that of Muhammad Uzair (1955). Another set of works emerged in the l ate sixties and early seventies. Abdullah al-Araby (1967), Nejatullah Siddiqi (1961, 1969), al-Najjar (1971) and Baqir al-Sadr (1961, 1974) were the main contributors. Early seventies saw the institutional involvement. Conference of the Finance Ministers of the Islamic Countries held in Karachi in 1970, the Egyptian study in 1972, First International Conference on Islamic Economics in Mecca in 1976, International Economic Conference in London in 1977 were the result of such involvement. The involvement of institutions and governments led to the application of theory to practice and resulted in the establishment of the first interest-free banks. The Islamic Development Bank, an inter-governmental bank established in 1975, was born of this process. 1.1.2 The coming into being of interest-free banks The first private interest-free bank, the Dubai Islamic Bank, was also set up in 1975 by a group of Muslim businessmen from several countries. Two more private banks were founded in 1977 under the name of Faisal Islamic Bank in Egypt and the Sudan. In the same year the Kuwaiti government set up the Kuwait Finance House. However, small scale limited scope interest-free banks have been tried before. One in Malaysia in the mid-forties4 and another in Pakistan in the late-fifties.5 Neither survived. In 1962 the Malaysian government set up the â€Å"Pilgrims Management Fund† to help prospective pilgrims to save and profit.6 The savings bank established in 1963 at Mit-Ghamr in Egypt was very popular and prospered initially and then closed down for various reasons.7 However this experiment led to the creation of the Nasser Social Bank in 1972. Though the bank is still active, its objectives are more social than commercial. In the ten years since the establishment of the first private commercial bank in Dubai, more than 50 interest-free banks have come into being. Though nearly all of them are in Muslim countries, there are some in Western Europe as well: in Denmark, Luxembourg , Switzerland and the UK. Many banks were established in 1983 (11) and 1984 (13). The numbers have declined considerably in the following years. In most countries the establishment of interest-free banking had been by private initiative and were confined to that bank. In Iran and Pakistan, however, it was by government initiative and covered all banks in the country. The governments in both these countries took steps in 1981 to introduce interest-free banking. In Pakistan, effective 1 January 1981 all domestic commercial banks were permitted to accept deposits on the basis of profit-and-loss sharing (PLS). New steps were introduced on 1 January 1985 to formally transform the banking system over the next six months to one based on no interest. From 1 July 1985 no banks could acc ept any interest bearing deposits, and all existing deposits became subject to PLS rules. Yet some operations were still allowed to continue on the old basis. In Iran, certain administrative steps were taken in February 1981 to eliminate interest from banking operations. Interest on all assets was replaced by a 4 percent maximum service charge and by a 4 to 8 percent ‘profit rate depending on the type of economic activity. Interest on deposits was also converted into a ‘guaranteed minimum profit. In August 1983 the Usury-free Banking Law was introduced and a fourteen-month change over period began in January 1984. The whole system was converted to an interest-free one in March 1985. 1.1.3 The last decade The subject matter of writings and conferences in the eighties have changed from the concepts and possibilities of interest-free banking to the evaluation of their performance and their impact on the rest of the economy and the world. Their very titles bear testimony to this and the places indicate the world-wide interest in the subject. Conference on Islamic Banking: Its impact on world financial and commercial practices held in London in September 1984, Workshop on Industrial Financing Activities of Islamic Banks held in Vienna in June 1986, International Conference on Islamic Banking held in Tehran in June 1986, International Conference on Islamic Banking and Finance: Current issues and future prospects held in Washington, D.C. in September 1986, Islamic Banking Conference held in Geneva in October 1986, and Conference ‘Into the 1990s with Islamic Banking held in London in 1988 belong to this category. The most recent one is the Workshop on the Elimination of Riba from the Economy held in Islamabad in April 1992. Several articles, books and PhD theses have been written on Islamic Banking during this period. Special mention must be made of the work by M. Akram Khan in preparing annotated bibliographies of all published (and some unpublished) works on Islamic Economics (including Islamic Banking) from 1940 and before. It is very useful to students of Islamic Economics and Banking, especially since both English and Urdu works are included (1983, 1991, 1992). M.N. Siddiqis bibliographies include early works in Arabic, English and Urdu (1980, 1988). Turkish literature is found in Sabahuddin Zaim (1980). 1.1.4 The current market There are more than 300 Islamic banks and investment firms spread among some 75 countries, against almost none 30 years ago, Kuwaits Global Investment House said in a January report. The value of assets managed by Islamic banks is projected to grow 33 percent to $1 trillion by 2010, according to a report in December 2007 by management consultants McKinsey Co. By the end of July 2007, the total value of sukuk outstanding globally totaled $82.4 billion, of which about 62 percent was denominated in Malaysian ringgit, ratings firm Moodys said in an August report.Gulf Arab sukuk sales overtook those in Malaysia on an annual basis for the first time last year, Moodys said in September 2007. Gulf Arab sales totaled about $12 billion in 2007, up from $9 billion a year earlier, Moodys said in January. The UAE was the worlds top issuer of Islamic bonds during the last seven years, contributing 36.2 percent of global sale value, Kuwaits Global Investment House said in the report. Malaysia wa s second at 32.1 percent. The head of the board of scholars at the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions in November said 85 percent of sukuk did not comply with Islamic law. Scholars and bankers are now trying to fix the problem.A growing number of scholars and bankers say the way in which the most common Islamic banking contract commodity murabaha is often used either does not comply with Islamic law, or no longer suits the needs of the industry, prompting a search for alternatives. Some Islamic financial institutions have launched hedge funds that they say adhere to Islamic law, but others say short selling, a common hedge fund strategy used to speculate on currency and stock moves, breaks Islams law against gambling. Chapter 3 3.1 Advantages: Speed Cost effectiveness Accessibility Reduce cost time Honesty It already exists, so it saves time. It is often cheaper than doing primary research. It may allow access to data could not otherwise get. 3.1.1 Limitations Details of many aspects of the services of Islamic bank of Britain Limited have been skipped in this report due to various constraints, including time, space and security reasons. The principal barrier in compiling this report was the confidentiality issue of data. Though the report writer had access to lot of information regarding the performance in personal lending business of the bank or Islamic financial service due to legal restrictions much of the information available could not be used. In case of other financial institution, the report writer had to depend mainly on the secondary sources of data. 3.1.2 Control of reliability and validity To assess the reliability and validity of information and data from secondary sources, the best procedure is to make comparisons between data and claims of a number of reputable sources, including: In determining validity, students might consider the degree to which evidence supports the assertion or claim being evaluated. In some cases, may be able to make observations or conduct experiments to confirm the reliability and validity of the information have identified. Chapter 4 4. Evaluation and Discussion of Findings 4.1 Starting of the Islamic banking in the UK According to the Islamic Bank of Britain (https://www.islamic-bank.com, 2009) Britains 1.8 million resident Muslims currently have no access to a banking service that is provided by a stand-alone Islamic Institution. There are also estimated to be over 1/2 million long term or regular visitors to the UK who would have a use for an Islamic Banking Service. Shariah-compliant financial products first appeared on the UK market in early 1990s when the first Islamic mortgages were launched. These early products were not very competitive in features and pricing, so growth remained modest throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. But according to Salaam Halal insurance (www.biih.co.uk) the last five years have seen a significant development as more providers have entered the market. The range of products now offered has become more comprehensive and products have become more sophisticated and competitive. Currently, there are around 10 regulated financial institutions that provide some t ype of Islamic financial product. This significant increase in the number of Islamic finance providers indicates a growing demand for Halal financial products. There are currently two types of Islamic financial providers in the UK: Conventional banks which provide different types of Islamic products Islamic banks Until 2004, only conventional banks provided Islamic financial products in the UK. The first stand-alone Islamic retail bank was authorised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in August 2004, followed by two more Islamic investment banks. The FSA, as the UKs financial services regulatory body, has committed itself to combating financial exclusion. Robust measures have been taken to remove any barriers that result in the unwillingness of households to access banking and other financial services because of distance, poverty or religion. The UK government also has a strong aspiration to make London the global gateway for Islamic finance. A level playing field is being encouraged by legislative changes made to accommodate the specific needs of Islamic financial products. These measures are increasingly giving UK Muslims an equal opportunity to access finance in compliance with their faith. While addressing business leader at a conference organised by the Muslim Council of Brit ain on Tuesday, Sep 26, 2006, the than Englands chancellor of the exchequer, Gordon Brown said, Entrepreneurial vibrancy and dynamism of Britains Muslims, combined with Britains openness to the world and the historic ties with Muslim countries, that makes the ambition to make Britain the gateway to Islamic finance and trade a realistic and realisable ambition. He also stated that he wants to make Britain the global center for Islamic finance. The chancellor said the Labour government will continue to implement the tax and regulatory reform to support the development of Sharia-compliant finance. (Source: https://islamicbanking.blogsome.com/category/islamic-banking-news/uk/) Ahmed Mohammed Ali, president of the Islamic Development Bank, also present in London, welcomed the chancellors openness to Islamic finance. London has traditionally been a major center for structuring and arranging Islamic finance since the 1980s, said Mohammed Ali. The president of the IDB underlined the impo rtant support of the Financial Service Authority, Britains banking watchdog, which authorized in 2004 the complete inclusiveness of the Islamic Bank of Britain in the UK banking system. Analysts in the city of London appreciated Browns move to grab a slice of the Islamic financial market, which is estimated to be around $400-$500 billion. Paul Sherrin, head of Islamic Financial Services at Lloyds TSB, Having spoken to Muslims across the country we know that more than three-quarters want current accounts and mortgages that fit with their faith. By making these products available nationwide were bringing Islamic banking into the mainstream and were giving the Muslim community access to financial services that meet their needs without compromising their religion. The total Muslim population in Britain is over 1.8 million according to the Office for National Statistics and recent research led by Lloyds TSB show that over 75 percent of British Muslims would prefer a banking system tha t conforms with Islamic laws rather than adopting Western financial services. Despite growing at a much faster pace than conventional banking, at up to 35 per cent in some countries, its volume is comparatively negligible at the global level. Yet economic pundits these days seem to lavish attention on the Islamic model of finance. At least, none is neutral on the subject. 4.2 Products offered by the Islamic Banks in the UK 4.2.1 Current Account Current accounts are offered by almost all of the Islamic banks in the UK. The current account comes with no credit interest and there is no overdraft facility. However, a debit card is provided and there is no fee or minimum balance requirement. Though the banks do not charge any penalty interest to any account that are overdrawn. However, they will charge an administrative fee for items such as returned cheques and letters of notification. In accordance with the principles of fairness inherent in Shariaa banking, the charges usually reflect the expenses incurred. 4.2.1 Savings Account The money held in the savings or investment accounts are used to generate profit through Shariaa compliant trading and investment activities. Then the profits are shared with the customers at a pre-agreed ratio. 4.2.2 Home Mortgage Scheme A new mortgage scheme complying with the sharia law has come into being in the U.K. targeted at Islamic investors. The new deal from the banking organisations are based on the diminishing musharaka principle, which allows the banks to buy the first property first, then lease it to the client, who then sub-lets it to a tenant. The client and the bank own the property together, with the clients share increasing over a period of 25 years. The rent will be charged at London inter-bank offered rate (Libor) plus any other administrative cost. The specialised mortgage is available at Arab Banking Corporation, some branches of Lloyds TSB, Islamic Bank of Britain and HSBC. 4.2.3 Islamic transfer scheme In January 2008 the Lloyds TSB launched a new bank account that enables Muslims to transfer money around the world without breaking the rules of Islam. The Lloyds TSB account is designed to comply with the principles of Shariah law, and it does not pay interest on any money held in the account and does not offer an overdraft facility. It also guarantees that funds will not be invested in certain industries, such as those involved in alcohol or gambling, which are prohibited under Islam. There are around two million Muslims in the UK and around 100,000 Muslim firms, many of which regularly make or receive international payments through the 250 Islamic banks worldwide. Diana Brightmore-Armour, chief executive of corporate banking at Lloyds TSB, said: Were providing the missing link in the chain, so now any person or business receiving payments from abroad into their own Islamic account knows the money will be dealt with according to Islamic law, from start to finish.

Alkali Metals - Properties of Element Groups

Learn about the properties of the alkali metals, one of the element groups. Location of the Alkali Metals on the Periodic Table The alkali metals are the elements located in Group IA of the periodic table. The alkali metals are lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium. Alkali Metal Properties The alkali metals exhibit many of the physical properties common to metals, although their densities are lower than those of other metals. Alkali metals have one electron in their outer shell, which is loosely bound. This gives them the largest atomic radii of the elements in their respective periods. Their low ionization energies result in their metallic properties and high reactivities. An alkali metal can easily lose its valence electron to form the univalent cation. Alkali metals have low electronegativities. They react readily with nonmetals, particularly halogens. Summary of Common Properties Lower densities than other metalsOne loosely bound valence electronLargest atomic radii in their periodsLow ionization energiesLow electronegativitiesHighly reactive

1984 Winston’s Struggle - 1733 Words

Hisham Dakhil English R1b Loretta Kane October 6, 2008 Winston’s Struggle George Orwell creates a dark, depressing and pessimistic world where the government has full control over the masses in the novel 1984. The protagonist, Winston, is low-level Party member who has grown to resent the society that he lives in. Orwell portrays him as a individual that begins to lose his sanity due to the constrictions of society. There are only two possible outcomes, either he becomes more effectively assimilated or he brings about the change he desires. Winston starts a journey towards his own self-destruction. His first defiant act is the diary where he writes â€Å"DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER.† But he goes further by having an affair with Julia,†¦show more content†¦However, they must play a instrumental role in order for the Party to ever be defeated since they make up such a vast majority. The proles live in ignorance of how the Party controls them into being patriotic. They have no desires to free themselves and are oblivious of their true power. The pr oles should be the ones questioning the status quo but it is Winston who carries their plight instead. Orwell depicted the Party as such a powerful force with the posters everywhere that say â€Å"Big Brother is Watching† and that proved to be true in Winston’s case. Even in the prole’s district he is not safe as seen when he is captured in Mr. Carrington’s shop. Winston’s inability to connect with the prole community effectively was a shortcoming because they are the group of people that can share the same interest as him. Yet the way he rushed into things with O’Brien circumvented his chances of organizing a revolution. The character of O’Brien intrigues Winston because he represents the type of man that Winston aspires to become. However, we learn at the end that he is merely a pawn of the Party and had played Winston all along. Ironically, Winston becomes just like O’Brien but not in the manner in which he expected. Initially O’Brien is shrouded in mystery and Winston perceives him has a connection to the resistance. It is through O’Brien that Winston hopes to learn the necessary steps in order to overthrow Big Brother. O’Brien pretends

Treatment-Naive Adolescents With Clinical Depression

Question: Case study Julie is 45 and has recently been diagnosed with clinical depression (unipolar). Prior to her diagnosis she worked she worked as a PA to a government minister. However, she no longer feels that she can work effectively and has been signed off from work. She rarely leaves the house, eats very little and suffers from insomnia. She doesn't socialise or have any contact with her family. She has recently been experiencing recurring thoughts of suicide. she has returned to her doctor as she feels that her condition is worsening. Task 2 You now need to COMPARE and CONTRAST how different psychological perspectives would explain the CAUSE, EFFECT and TREATMENT of Julie's clinical depression. Use the compare/contrast table provide to plan your work. You need to compare and contrast 2 perspectives from the following: the biological, psychodynamic, behavioural or cognitive perspectives of abnormal behaviour. NB: Focus on the cause and effect, symptoms, treatment. compare and contrast the different explanation of cause, effect, and treatment of abnormal behaviour that result from different perspectives.Please relate to the case study and no assumption. Task 3 You now need to select one BIOLOGICAL and one PSYCHOLOGICAL treatment for Julia. For each treatment you need to EXPLAIN the PRACTICAL IMPLICATION(i.e cost,success rate etc) and ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS (is the treatment humane, stressful? etc?) of administering the treatment. You must fully engage with the case study and use examples to illustrate your explanations. NB: Explain the practical and ethical implications of different forms of biological and psychological treatment. Answer: Cause of clinical unipolar depression Biological Infrastructure Julia is 45 years old and facing the challenge of clinical unipolar depression. Some changes in the brain dynamics can cause clinical depression in individuals after a certain age. Julie might be experiencing the aftereffects of such changes. Chemistry of the brain Neurotransmitters are the brain chemicals that have been related to several cases of depression (Zuidersma et al. 2013). Change in the functionality of the neurotransmitters may have caused the depressive changes in Julia. The interaction between such transmitters and neurocircuits are supposed to maintain mood stability. In case of Julia, work pressure and mid-life issues may have hampered the interaction and caused the resulting depression. Hormones Julia seems to be in her post or premenopausal period, which indicates, changed in the hormone level. This, in turn, may have caused the depression. Inherited Trait The case study does not provide Julia's family history, but it can be deduced that if Julia's family members had experienced bouts of depression in the past, she might have inherited the same genes that caused depression in her relatives (Aghajani et al. 2014). If the biological infrastructure is responsible for Julias condition then the doctor can recognize the change in brain dynamics and offer her a prescription of drugs suitable for reversing her condition as much as is possible. The chemical changes in the brain can also be altered to some extent with the use of neural medications and antidepressants. If the depressive changes are caused by hormonal imbalances then hormonal therapies can treat them. Inherited traits cannot be treated but the symptoms can be managed well with therapy and medications. Effects of Unipolar Clinical Depression Julia is a 45-year-old female recently diagnosed with clinical unipolar depression. Although she was actively involved in an office environment serving as a PA to a government minister, due to the depression she no longer feels that she can cope with the work. The workload seems unbearable; she is no longer enthusiastic about the work. Due to her attitude towards the work she has been signed off from work. The depression has weighed her down and so much so that she no longer considers frequent outings, she has lost her appetite and sleep over the period. She no longer socializes, and Julia has now developed suicidal tendencies. Insomnia and loss of appetite are common symptoms of depression. Suicidal tendencies are caused when the patient loses interest in living or sees no future ahead (Pedersen et al. 2012). Treatment for Unipolar Clinical Depression Several treatment approaches can be taken to treat clinical unipolar depression. Psychoanalytic approach Sigmund Freud founded the Psychoanalytic approach (Muoz et al. 2012). This approach lays a heightened emphasis on the workings of the unconscious and its resultant effect on behavioral aspects. An example of such an aspect is anger turned inward which results in self-harming tendencies. The approach regards the personality as the deciding factor. Ego is burdened with superimposition of guilt and pride on ego. Here we can see the effects on Julia as she has developed suicidal tendencies, which is bordering on self-harm. This therapeutic technique can help Julia identify her own feelings and act with clarity. Trait Approach Julias own traits might have pushed her over the edge and helped in the development of depression. Trait approach involves the working of relatively stable characteristics of an individual (Tournigand et al. 2015). The trait approach considers a group of people instead of considering an individual. There are five personality factors defining the trait approach. There is agreeability, neuroticism, conscientiousness, extraversion and openness. These traits will decide whether Julias depression is caused by constant worry, insecurity and self-pity. Biological Approach The biological approach considers the genetic susceptibility to depression. The approach also considers the serotonin monoamine neurotransmitter theory (Asgari et al.2014). According to this theory, depletion of serotonin from the receptor sites causes depression. This is the kind of depression that can be treated with administration of continued doses of medication over an extended period. Julia has chosen to go back to the doctor because her condition has worsened over time. If the doctor detects depletion of serotonin, then he or she can prescribe medications to supplement the depletion. Humanistic Approach While every other theory discusses medications and therapeutic treatment options, this approach actually takes the human nature and conditioning into account (Videbech and Ravnkilde 2015). This approach can be used to change the way Julia views herself as an individual. It can increase self-worth and improve self-concept. Behavior improvement and social learning approach Proper conditioning and observation can achieve changing personal and social behavior (Brown and Harris 2012). The environmental stimulus can strengthen the likelihood of specific response. The way Julia observes the world around her and the way she perceives what are happening around her can decide how she acts. Her depression can be managed by changing the environmental stimulus. Compare and contrast between Psychological and Biological approaches The psychological approaches are utilized to fight unipolar depression depends on three models namely, Psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive. The psychodynamic model is widely utilized despite of the fact that it does not hold any strong research evidence. The behavioral model is primarily utilized for mild to moderate depression but it is practiced less in the past years. It seems to provide limited help. The cognitive model has performed immensely well due to the fact that involves large behavioral techniques that are designed to assist the patients suffering from unipolar disorder to alter their negative cognitive processes. On the other hand Biological approaches results in bringing relief to the individuals with unipolar disorder. Usually biological treatment involves antidepressant drugs, but for rigorously depressed individuals who do not respond to the other forms of treatment, it involves brain stimulation or electroconvulsive therapy. The antidepressant drugs such as Monoami ne oxidase inhibitors are used to this treat depression. Another drug which reduces depression is Trycyclics for this disease. Biological Treatment for Unipolar Clinical Depression The first line of treatment for clinical unipolar depression is antidepressant, which the doctor can prescribe to Julia if the pattern of depression in her case is periodic (Fava et al. 2014). Psycho and sociotherapeutic approaches can also be used to treat depression in patients like Julia, who has had prior records of medication or therapeutic experience. There are several factors to take into account when treating a patient like Julia with antidepressants. Julia here is returning to her doctor as her condition is worsening. Therefore, it can be deduced that she has had her depression treated earlier. The choice of medication depends upon whether her prior experience with medication and therapy has had positive outcome or not. If need be, every associated effect of depression has to be treated separately so that Julia can lead a better, healthier life. The treatment plan should take into account the usage of non-psychiatric drugs. If Julia has had a history of using non-psychiatric drugs, then the doctor should consider their effects and side effects before prescribing her some drugs to manage the depression. Patient preference, budget constraints availability of the drugs should also be taken into account (Lin et al. 2013). The unipolar depression in the patient could be easily treated with a single line of drug. The changes in drugs are minimal in cases of unipolar depressive disorders. The cost of drugs is also minimized because the nature of the disorder does not demand to be treated with a variety of medications. Instead, a single prescription of drugs is enough to treat Julia. The success rate of such drugs has been noted to be extremely high. While several side effects have been associated with the drugs, with minimal usage comes the benefits of fewer side effects. Ethically speaking these drugs are reported to have several side effects. First, they are addictive (Wang et al. 2014). So while administering such a drug careful consideration should be taken into account. The patient history should be considered along with the threshold of the patient. Here Julia's medical history is not mentioned, but the doctor should consider it before prescribing any drug. Not only that, there are several physical side effects of antidepressants and when combined with some other medications the implication of the effect can become huge. Ethical implications regarding biological treatment concerns about research of unipolar disorder have been raised, for the majority of part, since concerns regarding the capacity of decision-making of probable participants of research. Unipolar disorder is a disorder of troubled thinking and so it was reasoned that if thinking is disturbed, then capacity to approval is possible to be compromised. Hence, as a result, people with unipolar disorder have long been considered a susceptible population in the setting of research. Psychological Therapy for Unipolar Clinical Depression The commonest and the most successful kind of psychological therapy is talk therapy (Sowislo and Orth 2013.). The case study depicts that Julia has currently chosen a life of social isolation. She has stopped going out, going to work or interacting with people. She no longer interacts with family members and has had several episodes of hiked suicidal tendencies. She is on self-harming mode and does not feel the need to connect with people around her anymore. She has chosen to go back to the doctor out of desperation, and talk therapy is the best option for her. Are talk therapies cheap? Not necessarily but if we consider Julia's case, then we should take note of the fact that her condition is worsening. She is getting worse by the second and needs proper assistance, which is unavailable to her. It seems that she is incapable of processing her own feeling for which the resonance approach is the best. If she talks with a professional, she will better understand herself. Talk therapies have been proven effective in several psychological cases. Moreover, ethically speaking talk therapy is a better tool than addictive antidepressants. It will also help discount Julias loneliness. References Aghajani, M., Veer, I.M., van Lang, N.D.J., Meens, P.H.F., Van Den Bulk, B.G., Rombouts, S.A.R.B., Vermeiren, R.R.J.M. and Van Der Wee, N.J., 2014. Altered white-matter architecture in treatment-naive adolescents with clinical depression.Psychological medicine,44(11), pp.2287-2298. Asgari, M., Shafran, I. and Sheeber, L.B., 2014, September. Inferring clinical depression from speech and spoken utterances. InMachine Learning for Signal Processing (MLSP), 2014 IEEE International Workshop on(pp. 1-5). IEEE. Brown, G.W. and Harris, T. eds., 2012.Social origins of depression: A study of psychiatric disorder in women. Routledge. Fava, G.A., Ruini, C., Rafanelli, C., Finos, L., Conti, S. and Grandi, S., 2014. Six-year outcome of cognitive behavior therapy for prevention of recurrent depression.American Journal of Psychiatry. Lin, N., Dean, A. and Ensel, W.M. eds., 2013.Social support, life events, and depression. Academic Press. Muoz, R.F., Beardslee, W.R. and Leykin, Y., 2012. Major depression can be prevented.American Psychologist,67(4), p.285. Pedersen, I., Ihlebk, C. and Kirkevold, M., 2012. Important elements in farm animal-assisted interventions for persons with clinical depression: a qualitative interview study.Disability and rehabilitation,34(18), pp.1526-1534. Sowislo, J.F. and Orth, U., 2013. Does low self-esteem predict depression and anxiety? A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.Psychological bulletin,139(1), p.213. Tournigand, C., Canoui-Poitrine, F., Reinald, N., Laurent, M., Guery, E., Caillet, P., David, J.P., Lagrange, J.L., Bastuji-Garin, S., Lemogne, C. and Paillaud, E., 2015, May. Association between geriatric assessment findings and clinical depression in 1092 older patients with cancer: The ELCAPA Cohort study. InASCO Annual Meeting Proceedings(Vol. 33, No. 15_suppl, p. 1574). Videbech, P. and Ravnkilde, B., 2015. Hippocampal volume and depression: a meta-analysis of MRI studies.American Journal of Psychiatry. Wang, P.S., Beck, A.L., Berglund, P., McKenas, D.K., Pronk, N.P., Simon, G.E. and Kessler, R.C., 2014. Effects of major depression on moment-in-time work performance.American Journal of Psychiatry. Zuidersma, M., Conradi, H.J., van Melle, J.P., Ormel, J. and de Jonge, P., 2013. Self-reported depressive symptoms, diagnosed clinical depression and cardiac morbidity and mortality after myocardial infarction.International journal of cardiology,167(6), pp.2775-2780.