What Causes Depression?

Symptoms (DSM-IV-TR) Affective: Feelings of guilt and sadness, lack of enjoyment or pleasure in familiar activities or company Behavioural: Passivity, lack of initiative Cognitive: Frequent negative thoughts, faulty attribution of blame, low self esteem, suicidal thoughts, irrational hopelessness, difficulties in concentration and inability to make decisions Somatic: Loss of energy, insomnia, or hypersomnia, weight loss/gain, diminished sex drive

Biological Perspective This approach says that people are born with a genetic disposition towards depression. genetics are assumed to be the only explanation, depression can be found in more than one member of some families. Biological treatments usually involve drug treatments, which vary in their action, but all act upon the neurological system chemical imbalances in the brain have been linked to mood disorders. Is some form of disease of the brain

Cognitive Perspective People have faulty thinking patterns which affect their perceptions of themselves, the world and the future producing an inescapable cycle of negative thoughts – look at things in a pessimistic light. As a result, depressed people tend to misinterpret facts in negative ways and blame themselves for any misfortune that occurs. depressed people to see situations as being much worse than they really are Depression can be learned when children in a dysfunctional family watch their parents fail to successfully cope with stressful experiences or traumatic events - Depression can result from a lack of experiences that would enable a person to develop coping skills.  

Sociocultural Perspective Depression is something that people learn through their interactions with their social world Perhaps they observe depression in their friends, in school, in the media, etc. Difficulties in relationships may lead to depression Different cultures see “depression” as different things - For example, in India, a wide range of distress disorders are categorized as depressive disorders, whereas in Japan, the very idea of mental illness is unacceptable and few people will admit to having it. Obviously, without knowing the full story, someone might conclude that Indian people have very high rates of depression, or conversely, that Japanese people rarely develop this disorder. Even within the United States, prevalence rates (the numbers of people experiencing depression) can be influenced by cultural context. For example, black women have lower rates of depression than white women. In addition, recent immigrants to the U.S. tend to have lower rates of depression than their descendants, who are presumably more "Western" in attitudes and behavior.

Humanistic Perspective -depression occurs when an individual is not able to cope with their circumstances in life – this prevents them from reaching their highest potential - if your deepest interests and freedoms are blocked in some way, it can lead to depression -people can choose to be depressed or choose to be happy

Behaviourist Perspective - Negative behaviour such as depression is learnt, which also means that they can be unlearnt. - People can become depressed due to a lack of positive reinforcement for their behaviour and actions - Depression can be prolonged through positive reinforcement such as sympathy and attention for depressive behaviour. - Psychologists will treat depression with behavioural therapy aiming to teach patients new skills to avoid depression instead of looking at factors that causes it.

Psychoanalytic Perspective --The psychoanalytic approach to understanding depression focuses on how unconscious motives drive our behaviour and experience.   -The psychoanalytical explanations for depression are based on grief, loss and inadequacy -How the child deals with and responds to loss in childhood sets the pattern for how the child will deal with similar experiences as an adult in later life. -Grief as a result of loss in early childhood is usually followed by feelings of desertion and rejection. But the loss need not be physical; it can also be symbolic e.g. withdrawal of affection, support or a rejection can induce depression.

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