What do you think depression is ?
Depression is a common but serious mood disorder. It may cause a continuous feeling of sadness and a lack of interest. It might affect how you feel, think, and act, and may result in a variety of emotional and physical problems.
Those with depression may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes may even feel as if life isn’t worth living.
Where it is normal to feel sad with, or grieve over rough life circumstances, depression differs in that it persists nearly every day for at least two weeks and involves other symptoms than sadness alone.
According to WHO article, The prevalence of depression
The estimated prevalence of depression is 3.8%, including 5.7% being over 60 and 5% adults, 4% males, and 6% females. Major depressive disorder affects more than 280 million people of all ages worldwide. A female is almost 50 percent more likely than a male to develop depression. Depression affects nearly 10 percent of pregnant women and new mothers worldwide. Nearly 700,000 people die every year by suicide. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among people between 15 and 29 years old.
What do you think causes depressions ?
For the time being, the causes of depression are not known, but a number of factors may be considered to predispose someone toward it
The following can be a causes and the risk factor of depression
Biological Factors:
Genetic: Individuals with a family medical history of depression stand at an increased risk for depression.
Neurochemistry: Neurotransmitter elements include serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
Concomitant Medical Conditions: These are diseases that one may be suffering from, such as thyroid conditions or chronic pain, which become contributing factors in depression.
Psychological Factors:
Cognitive Distortions: Poor thought patterns, like pessimism, self-criticizing, and ruminations, serve as a vulnerability to major depression.
Major life events include losing a job, the breakup of a relationship, or death of a loved one.
Personality Traits: There is a risk of increased vulnerability to personality features such as low self-esteem and neuroticism.
Social Factors:
Social Isolation: Lack of social support and loneliness make a person vulnerable to depression.
Among the family and childhood risk factors, trauma, abuse, or neglect during childhood contribute to one’s vulnerability to Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Given that depression is a multi-factorial disease, many of these causes represent pathophysiological pathways that may lead to, or are involved in, the development of the disease.
Once more, it should be underlined that most often it is a combination of these factors. If you think you may be experiencing some of the symptoms of depression, it is very important to seek professional help.
