The Causes Of Depression

There are a number of causes of depression, which include a genetic predisposition to the illness, life changing events or a combination of both.

In many cases Depression has been found in more than one generation of a family, which suggests some forms of depression have a genetic aetiology. This is the case for two types of depression .Major Depression and bipolar disorder however the genes involved have yet to be identified. Studies have also shown that a child with a depressed mother is at a two-three fold risk of developing depression; however treatment of the mother produces an improvement in the child.

As well as genetics, the environmental influences upon a person, will determine their likelihood of suffering from depression. There are a number of circumstances whereby a person may become depressed particularly when there are problems with personal relationships such as marriage breakdown, divorce and separation from children. The loss of a partner or loved one through death and major lifestyle changes such as pregnancy, childbirth and adjusting to life with a baby can also cause depression.

In addition, pressures of modern life such as coping with a financial burden and stressful situations at work can overwhelm a person and they find they can no longer cope, which could lead to depressive symptoms.

In addition, the use of medications to treat other conditions may cause side- effects in the patient, to produce feelings of depression. These medications include anti-hypertensive, antibiotics and analgesics.

People suffering from psychological disorders can also suffer from depression. Schizophrenia, eating disorders (anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa) and anxiety disorders are a few examples of conditions whereby the patient also develops depression. In addition, people with a history of drug addiction and substance abuse can become depressed.