There are more causes to depression than you might think …

There’s a lot of misunderstanding about what causes depression. Many people who experience depression read, or are told, depression is a disease and there’s treatment for it, as if it was a singular contagion with the same symptoms for anyone who happen to “catch it.”

Depression is much more complex than that.

First, let’s note that depression is a mood disorder that can result in feelings of sadness, loss, or anger — and/or other symptoms — that are persistent and profound enough to interfere with a person’s everyday activities. Research in this field has not concluded a single cause for depression; rather, there are multiple possible causes. Some of the major factors believed to play a role in depression include the following:

Temperament. A simple definition of temperament is it’s the genetic, in-born part of us that determines how we respond to people, places, and things. In other words, our temperament is how God “wired” us. We have strengths and weaknesses to our temperament, and some of those weaknesses can play a profound role in contributing to depression. For example, someone with a Melancholy component to their temperament can be inclined to rumination that fosters negative emotions and can draw a person into clinical depression.

How you think. Our thoughts create our emotions, and our thoughts and emotions together create our behavior. Some people develop patterns of irrational thinking or habits of cognitive distortions that eventually result in depression.

Genetics. Researchers think depression can run in families and some people will be at an increased genetic risk. However, having a parent or close relative with depression doesn’t mean you’ll automatically have the same experience. Life circumstances and other personal factors are still likely to have an important influence.

Brain chemistry imbalance. This is probably the most publicly-known cause for depression. VerywellMind reports a common view: “Depression is believed to be caused by an imbalance in the neurotransmitters which are involved in mood regulation. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances which help different areas of the brain communicate with each other. When certain neurotransmitters are in short supply, this may lead to the symptoms we recognize as clinical depression.” However, a statement from the Harvard Medical School points out this very real issue of “brain chemistry imbalance” is not as simplistic as many make it out to be:

It’s often said that depression results from a chemical imbalance, but that figure of speech doesn’t capture how complex the disease is. Research suggests that depression doesn’t spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, there are many possible causes of depression, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, stressful life events, medications, and medical problems. It’s believed that several of these forces interact to bring on depression.

To be sure, chemicals are involved in this process, but it is not a simple matter of one chemical being too low and another too high. Rather, many chemicals are involved, working both inside and outside nerve cells. There are millions, even billions, of chemical reactions that make up the dynamic system that is responsible for your mood, perceptions, and how you experience life.

With this level of complexity, you can see how two people might have similar symptoms of depression, but the problem on the inside, and therefore what treatments will work best, may be entirely different.

Hypothyroidism. Dr. Alan Weiss, medical director Annapolis Integrative Medicine, notes: “Since most psychiatrists and primary-care physicians don’t run a full thyroid panel, I see a number of patients who have undiagnosed hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid, which causes symptoms of fatigue, apathy, and depression.”

Leaky gut. Just suggesting this will be questioned by some, as the concept of “leaky gut” is quite controversial in medical and alternative medicine circles. Some, such as Harvard Medical School, have reported that “leaky gut” could be valid but more research is needed, others deny it outright. Dr. Weiss claims, “Leaky gut is clinically known as increased intestinal permeability or hyperpermeability, a condition in which food is allowed to pass through the small intestinal lining. Substances leak into the bloodstream that shouldn’t be there, causing bloating, gas, and sometimes mood disturbances.”

Sleep disorders. According to Dr. Weiss, “We’ve always known that depression causes interruptions in sleep, and that a lack of sleep makes persons more susceptible to mood disorders. But studies now show that sleep problems can cause mood disorders and that sleep deprivation can rewire the brain’s emotional circuits.”

Female sex hormones. Nancy Schimelpfening, an administrator for a depression support group, explains, “It has been widely documented that women suffer from major depression about twice as often as men. Because of the incidence of depressive disorders peaks during women’s reproductive years, it is believed that hormonal risk factors may be to blame. Women are especially prone to depressive disorders during times when their hormones are in flux, such as around the time of their menstrual period, childbirth, and perimenopause. In addition, a woman’s depression risk declines after she goes through menopause.”

Circadian rhythm disturbance. One type of depression, called Seasonal Affective Disorder (officially known as major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern) is believed to be caused by a disturbance in the normal circadian rhythm of the body. Light entering the eye influences this rhythm, and, during the shorter days of winter, when people may spend limited time outdoors, this rhythm may become disrupted.

Physical health problems. Experiencing physical health problems may result in changes in your mental health as well. Certain illnesses, such as thyroid disorders, Addison’s disease, and liver disease, are thought to cause depression symptoms, and the stress of having a chronic illness may trigger an episode of major depression.

Poor nutrition. There has been a heightened interest in the study of how nutrition affects our mental health. Nancy Schimelpfening writes for VerywellMind, “A poor diet can contribute to depression in several ways. A variety of vitamin and mineral deficiencies are known to cause symptoms of depression. Some studies have found that diets either low in omega-3 fatty acids or with an imbalanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 are associated with increased rates of depression. In addition, diets high in sugar have been associated with depression.”

Substance abuse. Research indicates that nearly 30 percent of people with substance abuse problems also have major or clinical depression.

Certain prescription medications. Some drugs found to be associated with depression include anticonvulsants, statins, stimulants, benzodiazepines, corticosteroids, and beta-blockers. It’s important to review any medications that you’ve been prescribed and speak with your physician if you are feeling depressed.

Stressful life events. Major life events (moving, getting married or divorced, having a child, losing a job or getting a new job, etc.) can make us feel overwhelmed and, when we struggle to cope, we are more vulnerable to depression.

Grief and loss. Sadness or grief from the death or loss of a loved one, though natural, may increase the risk of depression.

Abuse and trauma. Past or current abuse – whether physical, emotional, or sexual – can result in a person being more susceptible to experiencing depression.

Conflict. Feeling sad or distraught over conflict with a family member, friend, co-worker, etc. may be natural but may increase the risk of depression.

Spiritual problems. A majority of Americans state their approach to life is grounded in their faith. Various studies have demonstrated that our faith can have different affects on our mental health.

As you can see, there are multiple major factors that can contribute to causing depression. It’s important to have a medical and/or mental health professional accurately diagnose the root cause of depression so the right treatment plan can be prescribed.

Scotty