The Causes of Depression

Neurological Causes of Depression

This group advocates that structures in the brain are a primary cause. With advances in imaging technology ( CAT Scan and MRI) neurologists can observe differences in the structure of the brain. They have observed differences between depressed people and 'normal' people. There are theories that even assign types of depression to different areas of the brain. Yes these changes are real and observable. The hippocampus, an area of the brain that is important to the storage of memories, is smaller in those with a record of depression than in others that have never been depressed. The question is, do these differences cause depression or does depression cause these differences? It's really hard to prove because it's nearly impossible to get before depression pictures, but they have observed a reduction in the differences when the depressed person recovers. But it's only a reduction. Is that because of an inherant differnce from birth?

Chemical causes of depression

Besides the obvious Drug abuse as a cause of depression, there is a large group of researchers focusing on chemical imbalance as a primary source. This is demonstrated by the effectiveness of anti-depressant medication. Research is focused on the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, and the hormone cortisol . There was an experiment by a Russian psychologist who injected dogs with serum from bipolar patients when they were depressed and when they were in the manic period. Then the dogs had to negotiate a maze. The dogs performance time more than doubled when injected with the depressed patients serum and reduced when injected from the manic patient. This seems to imply that chemical imbalance may indeed have a significant implication as a primary cause of depression and not just a symptom or byproduct.

Both the neurological and the chemical theories make a case for the propensity toward depression to be something you are born with. Being perhaps genetic or a 'birth defect'. But they also don't completely discount traumatic events from causing variations in the brain or body chemistry, as seen in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Either way, they are more 'nature' schemes. These are popular with certain groups of patients and family members as well as the researchers and pharmaceutical industry. The problems with these theories is that a significant number of depressed people do not respond to the chemical treatments.

Behavioral and Environmental Causes of Depression

I am lumping Behavioral and Environmental together as causes of depression because, to me, the environment generally precipitates the behavior. The environmental factors include such things as

• Physical or emotional abuse
• Traumatic experiences (war, terrorist attack, bad accident, natural disaster)
• Grief as the loss of a loved one.
• A parent that is highly critical or distant
• Physical illness (cancer, disability)

Cognitive Causes of Depression

My Conclusion about the causes of depression

Neurological and chemical sources may be a genetic or abnormal biological development that pre-deposes a person to think and react negatively to frightening events. It's like a piece of metal having a weak spot that gives out under stress. When they incur a trauma, these people interpret it much more negatively than most. They do this over and over which creates a pattern of behavior.

Scientists and reasearchers can argue all they want about the causes of depression. What eveyone else cares most about is fixing it. At this point a combination of chemical and cognitive therapy seems to be the best treatment.

Let me know what you think about this article by submitting a Comment. I'll post appropriate comments. Maybe your comment will help someone else.