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
1min 4sec home-news-image

The difference between a depressive episode and depression

Depressive episodes and depression refer to the same condition; depressive episodes are also known as depression. Especially clinically, when patients experience depressive episodes, they mainly exhibit low mood, slow thinking, lack of interest and pleasure, diminished will and activity, overall subdued emotional state, sluggish and blank brain responses, lack of interest in daily life, and importantly, an inability to feel pleasure or control. Patients often feel passive, lethargic, and lack anticipation for future life. They typically experience decreased appetite, sleep disturbances, reduced sexual function, and fatigue. Patients frequently describe themselves as incapable, useless, incompetent, and hopeless, leading to low self-esteem and self-blame significantly contributes to their issues. They also feel like a burden to society, and thus, severe cases may include suicidal thoughts and behaviors, which are relatively common symptoms in clinical settings.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
56sec home-news-image

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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Can mild depression recur?

Patients with mild depression also have the possibility of relapse. Clinical research investigations have found that systematic antidepressant treatment can lead to clinical recovery in 85% of patients. However, even with persistent and standardized treatment, nearly one-fifth of patients still experience relapse. This signifies that some patients may have a relapse rate exceeding 70% if they cease treatment. For those who recover, there is still a one-fifth chance of relapse within six months, and nearly half might relapse within two years after the initial episode. Therefore, relapse is a significant challenge for depression patients. Thus, treatment should be systematic and standard, including pharmacotherapy. Additionally, psychotherapy plays a crucial role in treating depression by improving patients' irrational cognitive patterns and adjusting their cognitive reconstruction systems, ultimately achieving a healed state.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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Is depression contagious?

Depression is not contagious, but there is a certain genetic predisposition to it. Clinically, depression is closely related to genetic, environmental, physiological, and psychological factors. For families with a history of depression, their offspring are 4-8 times more likely to suffer from depression than the general population. However, this does not mean depression is a hereditary disease. Interaction with individuals suffering from depression may influence others negatively, including feelings of sadness, self-blame, or despair. Nevertheless, depression cannot be transmitted to others. Through systematic and standardized treatment, particularly with the use of new antidepressant medications, depression can be effectively managed.

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Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
1min 27sec home-news-image

How to Cure Geriatric Depression

For geriatric depression, the treatment includes several aspects. Firstly, it is important to strengthen the patient's diet and nutrition supplementation. Secondly, certain psychological therapies should be provided to the depressed patients. The aim is mainly to alleviate or relieve symptoms, improve patients’ compliance with medication, prevent relapse, and reduce or eliminate the adverse consequences caused by the disease. The third aspect is to provide certain medication treatments, such as the currently used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). These types of medications have been widely used in patients with geriatric depression disorders. Among them, SSRIs are quite effective for geriatric depression disorders and can effectively counteract cholinergic and have milder adverse reactions on the cardiovascular system, making it easy for elderly patients to accept and maintain long-term treatment. The fourth aspect is the improvement of electroconvulsive therapy, which can significantly improve depression when combined with comprehensive treatment. However, since depression has a high recurrence rate, full-course treatment is recommended.