The Root Cause of Depression: Biological, Cognitive-Behavioral, or Both?

This article claims that depression is a mental illness that has yet to be completely controlled although, much has been learned about it, there still isn’t a its fundamental understanding of what exactly causes it. The article also talks about some treatments that may be able to help certain depression patients.

Depression is caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors (“Depression: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments” 2015). Researchers are becoming increasingly aware that depression runs in families (Kam,2009) meaning that certain genes may make people prone to depression suggesting a biological vulnerability. The biological factors that have some effect on the hereditary and biological influences of depression are the genes, hormones, and brain chemicals.

Major depression is a commonly diagnosed psychological disorder affecting individuals’ ability to feel happiness and peace of mind. Those who suffer experience negative emotions, lack of motivation, changes in behaviour and dysfunctional cognitive symptoms. Depression is classified by the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as five of more of the listed symptoms present persistently over the same two weeks. One of these symptoms must be depressed mood or loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities. Depression causes disruption to typical daily life such as inability to maintain friendships and jobs. Other symptoms outlined by the DSM-5 include; insomnia, fatigue and recurrent thoughts of death. There is much debate over what exactly causes depression. Biological explanations question hereditary and neurotransmitter factors. While psychological theories include the cognitive ideas of Beck’s negative triad and hopelessness theory. This essay will focus on the ways in which psychological and biological explanations contrast and how their theories can overlap to better understand depression.

Depression can best be explained by the biological perspective of psychology. The disorder is caused by changes in the brain’s neurotransmitters, chemicals that relay messages to the body from the brain.

Depression is a health condition that can affect a person emotionally and physically. Untreated, depression can even lead to suicide, which is the third-leading cause of death among people under the age of 18 (“Antidepressant Drugs” 1). Depression

People with a family member who has an illness is more likely to inherit the trait but certain circumstances affect the development and doesn’t ensure the chance of it happening. It has been proven that more serious diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are usually drawn back to past family members with the same disorder. This does not guarantee that the relative gets the illness but highers the chance of contracting the disease. Diseases such as obsessive- compulsive disorder and depression are less genetic. Infections have also been associated to brain damage. Infections can bring a possibility of causing an illness or affecting the symptoms in a negative way. A condition called pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder is identified with a bacteria called Streptococcus. This bacteria has been associated with obsessive- compulsive disorder and other diseases. Brain defects and prenatal injuries have been related to mental illnesses and usually form in early life. Substance misuse is another key factor in the development of a disorder. This abuse has been related to anxiety, depression, and paranoia. Some others factors that can contribute to the development of a mental disorder are poor health and disclosure to harmful substances. Biological factors play a major role is forming a mental disorder. Many scientists believe these are the main reasons for the formation of an illness but is it really?

No one knows the exact etiology of depression. Depression is a disorder that is still being examined, just like many other mental disorders the etiology depends on multiple factors. Some factors include biological differences, life events, brain chemistry, and hormones. Even though clinical professions have multiple benchmarks to reference depression etiology still depends on the individual person. An example for the unknown etiology of depression could be as something as simple as a scar on a person face. To a male who plays football, a scar on his face may not affect him. But if a female has a scar on her face it means a lot because females are often judge based on their appearance. Having a scar on a females face could be a reason

Everyone will have a sad moment in their life, whether it is a death, a friend betraying he or she, or not getting accepted to the college of his or her choice. Depression can be described with many different words, but it will come down to sadness. People who live with depression will see lack of joy, energy, and happiness. They will not enjoy life, or living. They see it as pointless and useless. Many people will have a depressing moment at some point in their lifetime. The people who develop depression do not have to be poor or unsuccessful. They can be making millions a year and still be depressed, showing that money and success does not guarantee happiness. To be able to fully understand what depression is, one will need to know the

Major Depression Disorder affects all areas of life for the person living with major depression disorder. When depressed, people struggle to perform normal everyday activities. They have trouble concentrating on their work, they tend to isolate themselves from social activities, become lethargic, and lose the ability to enjoy things that used to bring them pleasure such as eating and sex. Cognitive impairments are now recognized as a significant facet of major depressive disorder (MDD) (Snyder, 2013). The brain plays a vital role in fostering survival in life and reproduction among species. When are brains are malfunctioning in ways such as in depression if affects all aspects of a person’s life. Psychologists have

Have you ever wondered what really causes depression? Or how people are even depressed and not just sad? The reason I chose this topic is because I have depression. Not only that but I only know a limited amount of this disorder, and also considering the fact that depression runs along side both of my mom’s and dad’s side of the family. My curiosity grows as I wonder, what does this really mean? Why was i diagnosed with depression? Is depression permanent or can it be cured? How? Where does depression come from? On this journey as i take you into the world of mental health knowledge, you will also get to know a little bit about depression, and maybe answer some of your questions.

Depression is a real illness that impacts the brain. Anyone suffering from depression will tell you, it’s not imaginary or “all in your head.” Depression is more than just feeling “down.” It is a serious illness caused by changes in brain chemistry. Research tells us that other factors contribute to the onset of depression, including genetics, changes in hormone levels, certain medical conditions, stress, grief or difficult life circumstance. Depression is a serious condition. It’s also, unfortunately, a common one. The World Health Organization characterizes depression as one of the most disabling disorders in the world, affecting roughly one in five women and one in ten men at some point in their lifetime. It is estimated that 21% of women and 12% of men in the U.S will experience an episode of depression at some

The severity of depression has been supported through scientific evidence that indicates that depression has a biological basis in the brain of a depressed person along with psychological and social implications. Whilst there are many catalysts in a person’s life that can be identified as a possible root cause of depression, such as stressful life events or the death of a loved one, the issue is far more complex, as the biological triggers of depression are not as easily expressed, such as faulty mood regulation in the brain, vulnerable genetics in the DNA, and other medical problems. Many things are altered in the brain of the depressed person. Firstly, what most understand to be an imbalance in the levels of chemicals that regulate emotions, is in reality far more elaborate. The true issue surrounding the many chemicals involved inside and outside of the nerve cells that undergo numerous chemical reaction which make up the dynamic system that is responsible for mood, perceptions, and the way one experiences life you experiences life can be altered in different ways that affect how one lives. Along with the brains chemicals, the connections between nerve cells called neurons decrease and deteriorate, meaning the

Depression is a psychological illness, much like bulimia or anorexia. It affects the mind as much as it does the body. Depression is directly related to many other disabilities: eating disorders, low energy levels, and social difficulties. Scientists have found that depression is the result of imbalances in the way the brain metabolizes chemicals called neurotransmitters.

Depression has numerous causes and effects which affect not only the person but the people around them. Depression doesn’t have a specific cause; in most cases it’s different for everyone. It is a common, treatable mental illness that can be experienced at any time in life. It is often described with feeling sad, unhappy, miserable, or “down in the dumps”. Most people have these feelings on occasion. There are several types of depression. These different types of depression describe slight, but often important, diagnostic differences. True clinical depression interferes with mood disorder in everyday life for weeks, months, or even years. Most people think depression affects only one

Depression is the most common of all psychological disorders, affecting 100 million people worldwide. The depression ranges from mild feelings of uneasiness, sadness, and apathy to intense suicidal despair. (Kasschau) If left untreated, it could lead the