Depression: Causes

What causes depression?

Factors associated with the development of depression including chemical imbalances in the brain, situational or environmental factors, and medical issues such as chronic pain.

An imbalance in the brain of chemicals called neurotransmitters, including serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, can cause depression. Neurotransmitters function within areas of the brain that regulate emotions and mood.

Situational or environmental factors also play a role in depression. These factors include traumas or stressors, such as the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, or a divorce.

Depression may also run in families. Current research is searching for specific genes that may be involved in passing a tendency toward developing depression in family lines.

Depression is also associated with chronic pain. Many patients with depression have physical symptoms, especially chronic pain. Depression and chronic pain are closely connected because mood and pain perception centers are both located in the same area of the brain. Both chronic pain and depression can deplete the body’s stores of endorphins and other neurochemicals that regulate mood and sensation. The depletion of the body’s stores of endorphins and other neurochemicals due to one condition leaves the body vulnerable to developing the other condition or a worsening of the other condition.

What are the risk factors for depression?

A number of factors are thought to increase your chances of having depression or are associated with depression. These include:

• Alcohol or drug abuse

• Being a woman, due to the hormonal changes of such events as puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, perimenopause and menopause

• Being an adolescent

• Being elderly, especially an older person with chronic illnesses and disabilities

• Chronic pain

• Family history of depression

• Having certain medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism, stroke, insomnia, type 2 diabetes, and vitamin D deficiency

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Smoking

• The winter months, in those with seasonal affective disorder

• Traumatic events or life stressors, such as the loss of a loved one, severe illness, loss of a job, or a divorce

Reducing your risk of depression

Not all people who are at risk will develop depression, but you may be able to reduce your risk for depression by:

• Eating a healthy diet that is low in saturated fats and high in fiber, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables

• Getting enough sleep, rest and relaxation

• If you drink alcohol, limiting intake to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men

• Participating in a regular exercise program

• Quitting smoking

• Reducing excessive stress

• Regularly participating in leisure activities or activities you enjoy

• Seeking regular medical care and following your treatment plan for such conditions as hypothyroidism, stroke, insomnia, type 2 diabetes, and vitamin D deficiency