1. Etiology of Major Depressive Disorder

2. Etiology of Major Depressive Disorder
What does ‘etiology’ mean?
Etiology is the cause or origin of a disease
However, it is more realistic to say that there are contributing factors to depression rather then causes.

3. Etiology of Major Depressive Disorder
There are a number of contributing factors to Major Depressive Disorder; the risk of suffering from the disorder increases with each risk factor.
Work in pairs (don’t look at your text books), and think of at least 6 factors you think may contribute to depression.

4. Etiology of Major Depressive Disorder
In IB Psychology we’ll examine the etiologies of Major Depressive Disorder in terms of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural factors.
It is important to remember that these factors do not occur independently; they interact with each other.

5. Etiology of Major Depressive Disorder
Biological Factors contributing to Major Depressive Disorders
Genes
Hormone imbalances
Neurotransmitter imbalances
Poor diet
Lack of proper exercise
Chronic illness or the presence of another mental disorder
Techno-brain burnout (Small & Vorgan, 2008)
Under-stimulation of effort-driven rewards system (Lambert, 2008)

6. Etiology of Major Depressive Disorder
Biological Factors contributing to Major Depressive Disorders
The serotonin hypothesis: Low levels of serotonin causes depression Copper (1967)
Support:
Some evidence that serotonin may be involved in depression and that it might be linked to stress hormones such as cortisol.
Against:
There is no research showing a clear link between serotonin and depression. SSRIs can regulate the levels but this does not mean that low levels of serotonin cause depression.

7. Etiology of Major Depressive Disorder
Cognitive Factors contributing to Major Depressive Disorders
Cognitive style - perceive and remember information.
Negative attribution style – In what way people explain their positive and negative life experiences.

8. Etiology of Major Depressive Disorder
Cognitive Factors contributing to Major Depressive Disorders
Support:
Bouty et al. (2001) found a significant correlation between amount of negative thoughts and the severity of depression.
Correlations not causation!

9. Etiology of Major Depressive Disorder
Cognitive Factors contributing to Major Depressive Disorders
Against:
Correlational research but Lewinshohn et al. (2001) found that negative thinking, dissatisfaction with oneself and high levels of stressors preceded episodes of depression.
Longitudinal study with 1500 adolecsents. This confirms that cognitive vulnerability may play a role in triggering depression after major stress.

10. Etiology of Major Depressive Disorder
Sociocultural Factors contributing to Major Depressive Disorders
Low self-efficacy
Marital problems
Parental maltreatment
Poverty
Descrimination and prejudice
War
Social class
Grieving a loss
Aging population
Natural disasters
Increased urbanisation
Media messages
Lack of social support
Spirits and other culturally based community causes
There are many others

11. Etiology of Major Depressive Disorder
Sociocultural Factors contributing to Major Depressive Disorders
Support:
Brown and Harris research (1978) even though the sample is gender biased.
It is generally accepted that social stressors (e.g. war, urbanisation, or restricted gender roles) play a role in mental health. Women are also more likely to be exposed to domestic violence than men are.
Sexual violence (?)

12. Etiology of Major Depressive Disorder