mental health disorders
Depression
Causes of Depression
The exact cause of depression is unclear, but a number of factors may make depression more likely. Risk factors include A family tendency (heredity) Emotionally distressing events, particularly those involving a loss Female sex Certain general medical disorders Side effects of certain medications Depression does not reflect a weakness of character or a lack of trying to feel better. Social class, race, and culture do not appear to affect the chance that people will experience depression during their lifetime. Genetic factors contribute to depression in about half the people who have it. For example, depression is more common among first-degree relatives (particularly in an identical twin) of people with depression. Genetic factors can affect the function of substances that help nerve cells communicate (neurotransmitters). Serotonin,dopamine, andnorepinephrineare neurotransmitters that may be involved in depression. Women are more likely than men to experience depression, although the reasons are not entirely clear. Of physical factors, hormones are the ones most involved. Changes in hormone levels can cause mood changes shortly before menstruation (as part of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) ), during pregnancy, after childbirth, and during menopause. Some women become depressed during pregnancy or during the first 4 weeks after giving birth (called baby blues or, if the depression is more serious, Depression may occur with or be caused by a number of general medical disorders and factors. These disorders may cause depression directly (as when a Overview of the Thyroid Gland affects hormone levels) or indirectly (as when Many people report feeling sadder in late autumn and winter and blame this tendency on the shortening of daylight hours and colder temperatures. However, in some people, such sadness is severe enough to be considered a type of depression (called seasonal affective disorder). The use of some prescription medications, such as some beta-blockers (used to treat high blood pressure), can cause depression. For unknown reasons, corticosteroids often cause depression when the body produces them in large amounts as part of a disorder (as in Cushing Syndrome ), but when they are given as a medication, they tend to cause A number of mental health disorders can predispose a person to depression. They include certain Overview of Anxiety Disorders , Emotionally distressing events, such as loss of a loved one, can sometimes trigger depression, but usually only in people who are predisposed to depression, such as those who have family members with depression. However, depression may arise or worsen without any apparent or significant life stresses. 