What causes depression?

Depression is a relatively common disease in contemporary life. As Chinese people, we have a certain prejudice against depression and think that depression is a mental illness. In fact, this idea is wrong. Depression is like a cold. It can only be said that the body is sick. There are many causes, such as some physical diseases, changes in biological rhythms, etc. Of course, there are certain genetic factors. If you have depression, you must receive regular treatment to avoid developing into a serious illness.

What causes depression?

1. Physical illness

Many medical illnesses and conditions, such as stroke, heart attack, cancer, chronic pain, diabetes, hormonal disorders, and terminal illness, can often lead to depression. If you or someone you know has a medical illness and is experiencing apathy or an inability to meet their basic physical needs, these symptoms may be an emotional or subjective response to the illness and may be a precursor to depression.

2. Changes in biological rhythms

Studies have shown that many physiological function indicators of affective disorders, such as body temperature, sleep, cortisol and other endocrine systems, have biological circadian rhythm changes, which are mainly manifested as phase shifts, mostly phase advances, that is, the peak time of the physiological rhythm is advanced. The rapid eye movement sleep latency of patients with depression is shortened (i.e., advanced). Some people believe that this can be regarded as a biological indicator of depression and has diagnostic significance.

3. Biochemical factors

When a person suffers from depression, there is often a decrease in certain chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. An imbalance between the two neurotransmitters, serotonin and norepinephrine, is thought to lead to depression or anxiety. Decreases in serotonin and norepinephrine often lead to depressed mood, decreased motivation, and changes in appetite and libido.

4. Psychological and social factors

In recent years, people have paid more and more attention to the importance of psychosocial factors in the occurrence, development, prevention and treatment of affective disorders, especially depression. Various major life events occur suddenly or persist for a long time, causing unpleasant emotional experiences. The stronger and more persistent the emotional experience, the greater its pathogenic effect. Some studies suggest that adverse life events, such as divorce, serious illness or repeated misfortune, can lead to depression. Everyday stress also has invisible adverse effects on our bodies and can actually contribute to a wider range of illnesses, including heart disease, colds and depression. For people who are already susceptible to depression, continued exposure to violence, neglect, abuse or poverty can make them more likely to develop the condition.

5. Genetic factors

Genetic epidemiological surveys of large sample populations show that the closer the blood relationship, the higher the probability of getting the disease. The probability of first-degree relatives suffering from the disease is much higher than that of other relatives, which is consistent with the general law of genetic diseases.

Like many other illnesses, depression tends to run in families. If one of the parents suffers from depression, the child's chance of developing the disease increases by 10% to 13%; among identical twins, this number is even higher. If one twin suffers from depression, there is a 70% chance that the other will also suffer from depression in his or her lifetime.

6. Personality

The main causes of depression also include certain personality traits that often lead to depression: people who are sensitive, suspicious, emotionally unstable, competitive, pessimistic, have low self-confidence, have bad thinking patterns, are overly worried, or feel that they have little control over life events are more likely to develop depression.