Biological Causes Of Depression

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Diagnosis- Depression is a widespread illness that carries a major personal and public health burden (Abel, 2016). To diagnose depression the patient must have at least five symptoms present for two consecutive weeks, and must also have a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in their everyday activities. Other symptoms that the patient may exhibit include, having a depressed mood most of the day, and little or no interest in activities. The sudden overwhelming feeling of sadness and worthlessness can make a once enjoyable activity a chore. More symptoms include weight loss or weight gain without having gone on a diet, sleeping too little or too much, and slow movement in their everyday life that has been observed by others. Being …show more content…
Some biological factors sometimes seen in depression include genes and brain structure, some people have a higher chance of getting depression due to their brain structure and function, as well as if their neurotransmitters are not firing properly. Sudden changes in hormone levels may also be the cause of depression in some people. Psychological factors sometimes seen in depression include personality or cognitive causes, meaning that if one has always naturally had a more negative way of thinking they are more likely to become depressed. Other psychological factors include learned helplessness, and how they think all together (King, 2014). Sociocultural factors sometimes seen in depression include, living in poverty, being socially isolated, and loneliness (Dewall, 2016). Other causes of depression can be developmental factors, such as unresolved issues with their family, and childhood problems (Khalsa, …show more content…
The DSM-V or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition is the American Psychiatric Association’s classification and diagnostic tool is used by many psychologist and psychiatrists to help diagnose people with mental illnesses. Another assessment tool used is the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression or the HRSD. This is a questionnaire used to provide insight on how depressed one is and as a guide to recovery (Khalsa, 2011). The a 17 item HRSD is often used with a guideline minimum score of 14 for patients with depression. Other assessments used for rating depression is the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire, or the DEQ. The DEQ is a 66 question self report questionnaire that measures levels of depressive experiences (Chui,

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