What Causes Depression? What We Know, Don’t Know And Suspect
BY CAROLINE GURVICH, DEVELINE MU AND JAYASHRI KULKARNI Depression is a complex and deeply personal experience. While almost everyone has periods of sadness, low mood or grief, depression is different. Major depressive disorder is persistent, interferes with day-to-day activities, and can affect work, life and relationships. One in five people will experience depression in their lifetime. Women are nearly twice as likely as men to develop it – a disparity that emerges around puberty and persists into adulthood. But what causes it? The short answer is: many different things. While there are various theories, we know brain chemistry, genes, hormones , stress, lifestyle and personality can all play a role. How these interact can vary greatly from one person to another. An imbalance of brain chemicals? The traditional “ monoamine hypothesis ” of depression was proposed more than half a century ago, in the 1950s. This theory suggests the root cause of depression is a deficiency in certain...
