What Causes Depression? Understanding the Complex Factors

Depression is widely spread psychiatric illness all over the world. Awareness of these effects can assist in finding and getting rid of risk factors and getting effective treatment.

1. Heredity

It is one of the principal reasons behind depression being genetic built. Depression research found that if you have a family history of depression, you are more likely to become depressed. Some researchers even suspect that some specific genes might affect your brain chemistry and make it more or less sensitive to running into mood problems. But a genetic predisposition doesn't cause a person to become depressed — it just makes a person more vulnerable to depression, especially when other stressors are present.

2. Brain Chemistry

And then there's sort of that it is a brain chemistry, it is actually material also plays a very important role there with depression. Both serotonin, dopamine, and noreprinephrine are neurotransmitters, involved in mood, sleep and appetite regulation. When these chemicals are unbalanced, you may experience depression. Some drugs for depression, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), accomplish this by re-balancing the system. But the picture when it comes to brain chemistry and depression is more complicated than we'd like to think, and not every case can necessarily be blamed entirely on a “chemical imbalance.”

3. Personality

Personality and coping styles are also important psychological variables in terms of depression risk. Those suffering from low self-esteem, negative thinking, constant criticism of 'selves' or simply a pessimistic attitude perhaps; tend to fall easier into depression. In addition, people who have chronic stress and difficulty managing their own emotions might find it too much to bear, and feel despair for longer periods. Another strong psychological factor is trauma — especially in childhood: experiences such as abuse, neglect, or loss can scar children emotionally and help lead to depression for clear biological reasons once they grow up.

4. Environments

Environmental and social circumstances also represent potent precipitants for depression. Being exposed to stress, for example, financial pressure, unemployment or an unstable home environment, for an extended period can also erode mental resilience. They take a notedly detrimental toll especially in a society like ours, since we humans are social creatures who require one another and each other's support. And this disconnection can compound despair. Even some major life shifts — divorce, an illness, the loss of a loved one — can send those already biologically or mentally susceptible into depression.

5. Other Factors

Other health issues and some medications also can lead to symptoms of depression. Chronic diseases — such as diabetes and chronic pain, heart disease and stroke — often are associated with depression, at least in part because of the emotional toll of dealing with long-term health setbacks. Hormonal changes such as during pregnancy, when breastfeeding, and thyroid disease also can knock it out of whack. Certain medications — such as some for blood pressure and some steroids — have depression listed as a potential side effect. When we touch the subject of depression, we cannot leave out the influence of culture, society, and media. The social stigma of mental health might deter someone from seeking help for things, and perpetuating those symptoms. There may also be broader societal pressure, unrealistic pressures to succeed in a certain way, or beauty ideals that add to the feeling of not being good enough. For some, the lack of sunlight in the colder months sparks depression, in a condition known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) that may be due to decreased sun exposure. 

The truth is, it's very rare for a depressed mood to have a single cause. Indeed, under normal circumstances it is not a single cause, but rather many — some in our power to manage and others that are not. These influences should be identified, in order early intervention can be achieved and appropriate treatment offered. Treatment for depression can include therapy, medication, lifestyle changes and close relationships with family and friends. It is essentially unknowable, but the more we accept that its development is knotty and labyrinthine, the more we allow society to both support those who suffer and to comprehend that it's not something they can control.