SEVEN PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES OF DEPRESSION

837 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Biological root of depression

Depression is defined as feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness that accumulate over time. There are seven psychological perspectives: neuroscience, evolutionary, behavioral genetics, psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, and social-cultural. These seven psychological perspectives can be combined or used independently to form a better understanding of depression. The neuroscience perspective of psychology is described as the use of science to learn about the detailed functions of the nervous system and the brain, specifically how they relate to human behavior. Low serotonin levels in the brain are shown to be the main cause of depression. These low serotonin levels can be caused by lazy neurons in the brain that fail to send off signals to cue the release of serotonin. The evolutionary perspective of psychology states that changes in human behavior over time can be attributed to constant adaptations made by ancestors to deal with the recurring problems that they faced. By using the evolutionary perspective of psychology, depression can be explained as a protection mechanism used by individuals to prevent further pain which ancestors have felt in the past. This can also be attributed to individuals overthinking and having stronger emotional ties to situations. This added stress can easily cause a person to become depressed. From the evolutionary perspective of psychology it can be inferred that depression is a needed adaptation that should not be tampered with. The behavioral genetics perspective of psychology explores the role that genetics plays in human behavioral patterns and characteristics. Recurring episodes of depression are normally caused by genetic factors and not external situations. Overall, it is shown that pe... ... middle of paper ... ...r-5261597.html Secher, K., & Gjedde, A. (2013, May 12). Cause of Depression Still Eludes Us, Says Neuroscientist. Retrieved January 24, 2014, from http://sciencenordic.com/cause-depression-still-eludes-us-says-neuroscientist Seeing Depression Differently. (n.d.). Retrieved January 24, 2014, from http://www.studentsagainstdepression.org/understand-depression/debating-depression/seeing-depression-differently/ Society for Neuroscience, Hodes, G., Mineur, Y., Scott, K., Felix-Ortiz, A., Paz, R., & Monteggia, L. (2013, November 11). Depression Press Conference. Retrieved January 24, 2014, from http://www.sfn.org/Press-Room/News-Release-Archives/2013/Depression-Press-Conference WebMD, & American Psychologist Journal (2012). Psychodynamic Therapy for Depression. Retrieved January 24, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/psychodynamic-therapy-for-depression

Show More
Related

  • One Night Changed a Life in the Book, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    Depression does not have a lone cause. An individual gene cannot handle mood or spur up depression. However, genes can influence the way nerve pathways perform. Multiple genes cooperate to evolve a susceptibility to depression. In addition to the biological aspect of depression, neurotransmitters and hormones are chemicals that allow nerve cells to communicate. Not only do they control mood and emotions, but the way these chemicals are broken down may add to the growth of

    Read More

  • Depression and Antidepressants

    2869 Words  | 6 Pages

    Through my extensive research on depression I have learned a lot of new things. I have learned about the many forms of depression and treatment for depression. I have also learned a little about what is believed to go on chemically in the brain of a clinically depressed person. I was also able to partially determine what sort of role genetics, chemicals and personal influences in the brain. Though I was unable to determine exactly how environmental and personal stress can cause a chemical imbalance in a person, I was even able to speculate about this issue and determine some theories of my own on why and how this may happen.

    Read More

  • The Effect of SSRI Medications on Our Humanity

    1866 Words  | 4 Pages

    Part One: Overview of depression, the serotonin system, and explanation of SSRI medications and alternatives.

    Read More

  • St. John Wort

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    Depression is a mental illness, which affects millions of Americans each year. Currently there are many prescription drugs, called anti-depressants that have been proven to successfully treat it. The causes of depression are somewhat of a medical enigma, however, it is known that depression is associated with a change in the brains chemistry involving the function of neurotransmitters (Reichert). This chemical change occurs in healthy brain’s, which experience sadness, but ends after the unpleasant stimulus is removed. In people suffering from depression this chemical change does not correspond to any particular stimulus. Symptoms of depression are often incapacitating and include severe and extended sadness, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of emptiness, irritability and anxiety (Reichert, Spake).

    Read More

  • Major Teen Depression and Its Growing Issue in Society

    1368 Words  | 3 Pages

    National Institutes of Health. “Depression.” National Institute of Mental Heallth. USA.gov, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • Disorders and Treatments for Depression

    1435 Words  | 3 Pages

    Depression is considered a mental disorder that can lead an individual to commit suicide, experiment fatal risk that can injure his or her life. Furthermore, an individual feeling depressed lacks motivation to do anything progressive with his or her life. With that said, these individuals sometime gives up interest in activities that were once enjoyable, gets in a phase were he or she loses appetite, begins to overeat, loses concentration on what he or she is trying to complete, and becomes indecisiveness. Moreover, depression is a condition that makes an individual feel miserable, have no motivation to any activity that can influence his or her views, actions, welfare. Furthermore, depressed individuals at times may feel sad, apprehensive, desperate, destitute, useless, awkward, short-tempered, and agitated. In addition, the melancholy of depression is categorized by a greater concentration and length that is attached to severe symptoms. According to Wedding & Corsini (2014) states, “Physical disease, severe and acute stress, and chronic stress area also precipitating factors” (Pp. 240) of an individu...

    Read More

  • Native Americans and Mental Health

    2885 Words  | 6 Pages

    It is not common knowledge, but people can be genetically predisposed to develop depression during their lives. Depression runs in families. It can be passed d...

    Read More

  • Serotonin & Depression

    1170 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although historically depression has been considered a character condition, evidence has accumulated suggesting the role of a biological substrate, namely serotonin, in subgroups of depressed patients. This accumulated evidence supports the indoleamine hypothesis of depression, which suggests that major depression results from a deficiency of available serotonin or inefficient serotonin. (16). We see that depletions of serotonin from certain regions of the brain such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, and cortical areas involved in cognition and other high processes, can have a great impact in contributing to depression.

    Read More

  • Opposing Viewpoints on Depression

    2443 Words  | 5 Pages

    Depression is much more common than most people think. Because it is essentially an invisible illness and is largely in the mind, it is difficult to correctly diagnose it and most people suffer for months, years, or even decades with depression. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines depression as “a mood disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit suicide.” Most medical definitions are able to explain what happens and why it does, but after carefully examining this one, we only notice that it explains what happens, but not why. Usually, the symptoms of an illness are...

    Read More

  • Protective Factors In Child Development

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    Risk factors act as precursors for detrimental behavioral, social, and emotional activity. Inherited genetic disorders have long historically had strong correlations with this type of maladaptive behav...

    Read More

  • Depression: Symptoms, Types, and Treatments

    1957 Words  | 4 Pages

    Depression is an equal opportunity disorder, it can affect any group of people with any background, race, gender, or age. Depression is a sneak thief that slips quietly and gradually into people’s lives - robbing them of their time, and their focus. At first, depression may be undetectable, but in the long run a person could become so weighed down that their life may feel empty and meaningless. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone who commits suicide is depressed, but majority of people who commits suicide do so during a severe depressive episode. There are over 300 million people in the world today who suffer from depression. Depression has affected people for a long as records have been kept. It was first called out by the famous Greek philosopher Hippocrates over 2,400 years ago. Hippocrates called it “melancholia”. Many times we think of depression as one disorder alone, when in fact there are many different types of depression. The different types of depression are major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, atypical disorder, adjustment disorder, and depressive personality disorder. All types of depression share at least one common symptom. It is commons from the person who suffers from any form of depression to feel an unshakable sadness, anxious, or empty mood. Major depressive disorder also known as unipolar depression or recurrent depressive disorder is the most severe depressive disorder out of all of the depressive in my estimation. Major depressive disorder is a condition in which affects a person’s family, work or school life, sleeping, eating and general health. It is important to emphasize that we can understand the mechanics of this disorder and how it affects people with major depressive disorder.

    Read More

  • Mental Illness: Depression

    1817 Words  | 4 Pages

    Depression is a serious mental health illness which affects an individuals’ mind, body and mood. It is a chronic and lifelong health condition (NICE, 2006) thought to be caused by a number of biological factors including neurotransmitter disturbances in the brain and an element of genetic vulnerability; these are often in addition to psychosocial factors such as the occurrence of undesirable life events, limited social network options, poor self esteem and the occurrence of any adverse life events during a persons’ lifetime (Bernstein, 2006). Depression can have an impact on a persons’ ability to do many things including working, engaging with others, participating fully in family life or maintaining relationships, and it can also impact on a person...

    Read More

  • Clinical Depression

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    The biologic basis of Clinical Depression originates in the brain. Your brain is made up of a complex network of nerve cells, called neurons and of brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters transmit messages from one neuron to another. Two of these neurotransmitters are not produced in sufficient quantities in a depressed person’s brain. Because of this lack, too few messages get transmitted between neurons and the symptoms of depression occur. In Clinical depression the chemicals in the brain are out-of-balance. New technology allows researchers to take pictures of the brain that show activity levels in the brain. These imaging techniques such as f-MRI and PET scan actually create images of how active different parts of the brain are. Some studies with these kinds of techniques have suggested that the patterns of activation in the brains of depressed people are different than those who are not. These tests can help doctors and researchers learn more about depression and other mental illnesses. Since this research is fairly new, it is not yet used to diagnose clinical depression.

    Read More

  • Major Depressive Disorder

    1197 Words  | 3 Pages

    The exact causes of depression seem to differ immensely, but there are some who believe that it maybe caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, or that it may even be hereditary. Still there are others who believe that it is a combination of social, biological, emotional, psychological, and economical influences that may cause someone who has no family history of depression to develop even a mild case of depression.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Depression

    1357 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many people in the world who are struggling with the disease depression. Depression is the state in which a person feels very sad, hopeless and unimportant. The thing about depression is that it affects both genders and any ages. Depression is something that deserves full attention. For many reasons doctors believe that when a person has depression, they have to start taking medication for it as if medications help. People are becoming more dependent on antidepressants when there are other techniques for dealing with depression.

    Read More

More about SEVEN PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES OF DEPRESSION

Open Document