A short essay on the causes of depression.
... allow brain cells to communicate with one another. Two transmitters involved in depression are serotonin and norepinephrine. Scientists think a deficiency in serotonin may cause sleep problems, irritability, and anxiety associated with depression. Likewise, a decreased amount of norepinephrine, which regulates alertness and arousal, may contribute to the fatigue and depressed mood of the illness. Biological factors alone will not necessarily cause depression, but they play a big part. Next, social learning factors can play a role in depression. People who have low self-esteem, who consistently view themselves and the world with pessimism, or who are readily overwhelmed by stress are more prone to depression. Psychologists often describe social learning factors as being significant in the development of depression. People learn both adaptive and maladaptive ways of managing stress and responding to life problems within their family, educational, social, and work environments. These environmental factors influence psychological development, and the way people try to resolve problems when they occur. Social learning factors also explain why psychological problems appear to occur more often in family members from generation to generation. If a child grows up in a pessimistic environment in which discouragement is common and encouragement is rare, that child will develop a vulnerability to ...