Did you know that nature & nurture combine to increase the risk of depression? Here's the new research on this mood disorder, plus new information about antidepressants.
By the year 2020, depression could be the second leading cause of disability worldwide, according to materials from the Association for Psychological Science. Understanding how depression works is key to living with it – and not letting it overshadow life and health.
Quick Facts about Depression
Who gets depressed?
- Women report more depression than men. Survey results show that most adults feel sad, blue, or depressed about three days a week. Women and young adults feel blue more often than men or seniors (Time, August, 2004).
- Teens’ depression is short-lived. Research from the University of California at LA shows that teenage depression doesn’t usually last long, and doesn’t predict adult depression. “Most of the time when children are depressed, there's something wrong in their lives, and the situation that's causing the depression needs to be addressed,” said Dr Constance Hammen. “Kids often get depressed because bad things happen to them that they don't have the coping skills to deal with.”
New research on the causes of depression
- Neurotransmitters that malfunction. Norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine are three brain neurotransmitters that malfunction, increasing the risk for depression. This mood disorder can be caused by faulty brain chemistry.
- Nature and nurture. Research from the Association for Psychological Science reveals that genetics and the environment interact to increase the risk for depression. When early negative interpersonal environments (rejecting parents, for instance) are combined with abnormal dopamine or serotonin levels, the risk for depression is increased.
- Poor sibling relationships. The stronger the connection is between brothers and sisters, the less risk people have for depression. New research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in June 2007 reveals that the quality of the relationship with parents isn’t has strong a risk factor as the quality of the sibling relationships.
New research on treatments for depression
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy. Interpersonal psychotherapy could be the best treatment for unipolar depression (not bipolar or manic depression). Psychotherapy has a strong long-term outcome and lower medical risk than drugs alone or drugs and therapy, says Dr Pierce Howard in The Owner’s Manual for the Brain. He also says that psychotherapy should always accompany antidepressant medications.
- Reducing stress hormones improve depression. Decreasing the levels of the stress hormone cortisol can improve depression. Reducing stress can involve social, professional, and personal lifestyle changes, which can improve mood disorders.
- Antidepressants increase risk of diabetes. New research from the University of Alberta reveals that the risk of diabetes doubles for people who were taking tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors at the same time.
For more information, click on these links to articles about depression:
- Causes of Depression in Women
- Physical Signs of Depression
- Natural Treatments for Depression
- Dealing With Depression
The copyright of the article New Research on Depression in Clinical Psychology is owned by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen. Permission to republish New Research on Depression in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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