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Depression Causes - What are the Causes of Depression

Studies suggested that a variety of physical, psychological and social factors cause or contribute to depression. Causes of depression varies from individual to individual, and the particular risk factors that happen to be exposed to or vulnerable to. There is no single cause for depression, its a combination of different factors.

Depression results form an imbalance in the chemical messengers in the brain, which the nerve cells use to communicate with each other. The chemical messengers are released at one end of a nerve cell, travel across a tiny gap between cells, and attach to the second cell at a receptor site. Depression is associated with low levels of two of the chemical messengers, serotonin and noradrenalin.

Depression is not created by a single gene, but rather by a number of genes acting together to make an individual susceptible to developing depression when bad events happen. These susceptibility genes are inherited from both parents.

Physical causes of Depression

Physical causes include genetic make-up, biochemical factors, hormonal influences, seasonal factors and illness or physical disease. Physical causes of depression includes -

• Genetic Makeup - Research shows that you are slightly more likely to suffer from depression if you have a first-degree relative who has depression, but it is not known why. It could be due to a genetic fault such as a faulty chromosome or shared gene, but it could be partly because of a shared family environment.
• Brain Chemistry - Scientists have discovered that depression is sometimes associated with low levels of particular neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and serotonin. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances, which help to send messages to brain.
• Hormones - The role of hormones in depression seems critical to and the link between hormones, stress and depression is key. Stress hormones are activated when the body's fight or flight mechanism is triggered. In addition to a surge in adrenaline, cholesterol levels are raised. High levels of cortisone in the brain can cause depression and mood changes. Depression is also high in people with crushing's syndrome.
• Illness - Some illness tend to be more associated with depression. This may be because the illness itself cause depression - hypothyroidism or crushing's syndrome, for example. Depression is also more common in those who are disabled, those with a progressive condition such as Alzheimer's disease, people with head injuries, and those who have to undergo unpleasant investigations or treatment.
• Medication - Depression may also be a side-effect of drugs being taken for a physical illness - beta blockers taken for heart problems. Other medications that have side-effects that affect our mood, or make is more prone to depression, include drugs to lower high blood pressure, oral contraceptives and corticosteroids. Someone who abuses alcohol or other substances is also statistically more likely to be depressed.

Psychological causes of Depression

Depression can also be triggered by what psychologists term stressors - certain events, illness or other factors. Psychological causes include stress, which may result from a range of difficult life events such as bereavement or divorce, adverse early childhood experiences, and the views someone may hold about themselves and their world. Strong emotions such as shame and guilt are often closely related to depression.

Social causes of Depression

Social causes include the stress that may result form poverty, financial difficulties, unemployment, social isolation or exclusion.

Different causes of the depression which taken into account are:

1. Who is most likely to get depressed ( SUSCEPTIBILITY )?
2. What will actually make them depressed ( TRIGGER ) ?
3. What keeps them feeling depressed ( MAINTENANCE )?

Depression can be caused by overwhelming losses such as the death of a friend, severe illness or divorce. Some people  have difficulty facing the sadness, anger, shame or remorse that can go along with such an event. They become depressed as their feelings numb. They may be related to abnormal character and behavior patterns and troubled personal relationships. In many patients, the history identifies a specific personal loss or severe stressor that probably interacts with the person's predisposition to provoke major depression.

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