Depression
...p and become depressed because they no longer have energy to fight back. This theory is called learned helplessness. 2. Developmental events during childhood, such as early childhood stressors and object loss, may also play a factor in becoming depressed. For example, if a child is living in a home with a significant amount of family conflict, child neglect, and child abuse, that child may grow up learning that no matter what they do, they are always wrong. A child or adolescent may try and try to do better, yet nothing seems to please their parents. Eventually, that child will quit trying and just start to view themselves as worthless. These effects on their development could lead to depression and even suicide. III. Cognitive Causes of Depression 1. Depressed people often think very pessimistically. Psychology in Perspective reports that the three most common habits of thinking negatively include issues related to stability, internality, and lack of control. In terms of stability, a depressed person believes that nothing in their life will change for the better. With this belief, they do not try to improve the situation, leaving them to feel miserable. A person with depression also believes in internality. They only consider themselves (internal description) as the problem and not the environment or people surrounding them (external description). Finally, a depressed person with negative habits of thinking tends to believe that they have no control over the way they feel or the events that make them feel a certain way. 2. Another cognitive association with depression is brooding. Brooding is when a person ponders or worries about something. People with depression, especially women, tend to brood excessively about their unfortunate situations and feelings of dismal. This can lead to a longer period of depression. IV. Sociocultural Causes of Depression 1. Studies have shown that high violence rates can cause depression in people, especially when this violence is paired with other stressful living conditions. People do not necessarily become depressed just because they are a victim of violence, but rather because a person is subjected to watching violent acts day in and day out. That person may come to believe that life is always rough, violent, and depressive. 2. Another social cause of depression is just a combination of unfulfilling and difficult living conditions all piled up. This cause is especially apparent in women. They generally have a lower working and social status than men, while their poverty and sexual assault rates are much higher. Their family lives can also be much more stressful if they are a single parent or have unsupportive husbands. They may be trying to balance a career while trying to spend adequate time with their children along with keeping up with household chores. Without any help, a situation like this can seem overwhelming and hopeless. V. Psychodynamic Causes of Depression 1. A d...