What causes depression?

Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
Updated on September 06, 2024
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The causes of depression are not yet clear, and it may be closely related to multiple factors such as biological, psychological, and social factors.

Firstly, from a biological perspective, depression may involve genetics, biochemical factors, and endocrine factors, especially closely related to the secretion of serotonin and norepinephrine.

Secondly, psychological factors. The psychological characteristics and personality traits of patients, especially before the onset of depression, are closely related. Particularly, individuals with a depressive disposition are often more likely to develop depression.

Thirdly, social environmental factors. Particularly, encountering major negative life events is often an important contributing factor to clinical depressive episodes.

Therefore, the onset of depression is not caused by a single factor, but likely the result of multifactorial interactions, ultimately leading to the disease onset.

Other Voices

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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What is the depressive mood of depression like?

Patients with depression primarily exhibit symptoms of low mood. They often experience persistent sadness and pessimism. Patients might find it difficult to feel happy, appear gloomy, and are unable to experience joy, particularly in activities that they used to find interesting. In severe cases, they might feel hopeless, in despair, and have thoughts of death, leading to an overwhelming sense that each day is unbearably long. Furthermore, patients might feel that life isn't worth living and that their existence has no meaning, which can lead to thoughts or actions of suicide or self-harm. In this emotional state, their self-evaluation is also typically low; they might feel utterly worthless, viewing themselves as a burden on their family and a parasite in society. Thus, feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, despair, and self-blame are significantly more pronounced.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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How to diagnose mild depression?

For the clinical examination of mild depression, it is first necessary to thoroughly understand the patient’s onset, development, evolution, and treatment of depression. Furthermore, detailed communication must be conducted with the patient concerning consciousness, sensations, perceptions, thinking, attention, emotional willpower, self-control, and other aspects. It is important to comprehend the patient's overall mental and psychological condition, then combine this with the results of corresponding scales or exclude other conditions through diagnostic auxiliary examinations to make a comprehensive judgment. Particularly, the content of the psychiatric examination for the patient is an important aspect in determining mild depression. By integrating the aforementioned information, it is often possible to clearly diagnose the symptoms of mild depression, which is very meaningful for the subsequent treatment.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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Can someone with mild depression go to work?

Patients with mild depression can go to work. Those with mild depression may exhibit lighter symptoms such as mood decline, fatigue, and decreased interest. Often, patients may have difficulty sleeping; however, their social functions or most other functions are generally unaffected, with only minor impacts on their work and social activities. If patients are functionally capable of handling their jobs, depressive symptoms can be improved through behavioral training. Therefore, in clinical practice, patients with mild depression are encouraged to continue working, which further activates their energy and motivation, enhancing their positivity and initiative, and improving treatment outcomes. Additionally, psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy can also achieve good therapeutic effects for patients with mild depression. Systematic and standard treatments should be continued to ultimately reach clinical recovery.

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Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
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Is elderly depression easy to treat?

Depression in the elderly is difficult to treat because compared to younger patients, depression in the elderly tends to last longer with an average duration often exceeding one year, and episodes occur more frequently, often becoming chronic. Additionally, the prognosis for elderly depression is worse compared to other age groups, primarily due to the coexistence of cerebrovascular diseases and other physical comorbidities, recent acute illnesses, long-term ongoing diseases, as well as the presence of delusions and a lack of social support systems. Thus, depression in the elderly is quite challenging to treat.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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Is depression prone to recurrence?

Depression is a disease with a high incidence rate, so in clinical practice, the treatment of depression requires systematic standardization, adequate dosages, and full courses of treatment, and it is also a disease with a high cure rate. After standardized systemic treatment, a cure rate of over 85% can be achieved. However, nearly 50% of the patients may relapse one year after undergoing standardized treatment. Therefore, during the treatment process, not only pharmacotherapy is needed but also psychotherapy and self-adjustment methods. A comprehensive and systematic treatment can ultimately improve the cure rate of patients, reduce the recurrence rate, and effectively treat the disease.