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Causes | Basics | Symptoms | Signs | Types of Depression
Biological
Causes | Genetic Causes | Environmental
Causes
Psychological Causes | Medical
Illness Causes | Other Causes.
Environmental Causes of Depression
Environmental causes of depression include events such as stress, traumatic events and childhood difficulties. These are events that can happen to anyone and they happen during our everyday lives. They are considered factors that are outside of ourselves. Some researchers refer to these events as sociological or psychosocial factors because they are a "meeting" or "combination" of events that happen in society and the function and workings of the human mind.
Researchers have known for some time that the experiences (events) we have in our lives can and do affect our mental health. Thoughts, emotions and behaviors of people are influenced by the prior experiences in their lives. These experiences can include past relationships, childhood development and past crises. The key to development of clinical depression in some people seems to be how they react to the various environmental causes or factors in their everyday lives.
Stress
There appears to be a very complex relationship between stressful situations, the reaction of the individual's mind and body to stress, and the development of clinical depression. Most researchers believe that for some people there is a direct relationship between a stressful event and the development of depression. What is interesting to note is that this stress can be negative or positive. Examples of negative stress are loss of a loved one, loss of a job, loss of a relationship and divorce. Examples of positive stress are planning for a wedding, preparing for a new job, and moving to a new city. Both negative and positive stress from environmental events can precede the development of depression.
Does a stressful event cause depression? There is no clear answer to this question. Most people will face difficult decisions, painful events, and great losses during their lives. And a majority will NOT develop clinical depression.
So why do some people develop depression after a stressful event in their lives? Some researchers feel that a stressful experience - working in combination with another causation factor - can lead to development of depression. For example, a young woman who has other family members who have experienced depression (genetic cause or factor) may suffer the loss of a loved one (environmental cause or factor). The combination of the genetic predisposition and the stressful event could trigger the development of depression in this young woman. Other combinations are possible also, such as a existing medical illness and the loss of a loved one.
Traumatic Events
It is a fact that many people have experienced a traumatic event prior to developing depression. Traumatic events in the lives of people include loss of a loved one, a serious medical illness, the end of a marriage or significant financial loss. These types of events can destroy the sense of control and stability in a person's life, often leading to emotional distress.
Does a traumatic event cause depression? There is no clear answer to this question. Most people will face one or more traumatic events during their lives. But a majority will NOT develop clinical depression. Again, the key seems to be how a person reacts to the traumatic event and if there are other risk factors present in the individual's life.
Childhood Difficulties
It has long been known that people with severe difficulties in childhood have higher rates of clinical depression. The most common childhood difficulties include sexual, emotional, or physical abuse, disfunctional upbringing, parental separation, and mental illness in one or both of the parents. One of the most difficult emotional events for a child to endure is the separation or death of a parent before the age of eleven. Children that have experienced this event also demonstrate a higher probability of developing depression.
Does a difficult childhood cause depression? Again the answer is not clear. There are a number of theories that attempt to explain the relationship. One theory suggests that great unhappiness during childhood damages or inhibits the individual's ability to adjust to normal changes in life - changes such as adolescence or adulthood. A second theory suggests an unhappy childhood damages or limits the emotional development of the individual. An emotionally damaged child would likely have lower self-esteem and feel less able to control his or her future. A third theory suggests that an unhappy childhood will affect the development of the limbic system of the brain of a young child. The net effect of this childhood turmoil on the limbic system is that the child will be less able to adjust to new environments or regulate his or her emotions.
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