What are the Causes and Effects of Depression Essay

What are the Causes and Effects of Depression - Essay Example Being underdiagnosed, it can become a serious condition, which can make a person suffer greatly and even lead to suicide. There is no simple explanation to what causes depression. Health specialists define several major factors that can lead to the development of depression in a person. The first one of them is biological factors, which include genetic factors, brain chemicals, and hormones. The studies on the illness suggest that this mental disorder may be inherited with genes as far as depression often runs in families. A person can inherit an increased vulnerability to depression or the disorder itself; many people with increased vulnerability may never suffer it. Depression can be also caused by a decreased level of neurotransmitters (chemical substances in the brain), which causes improper communication between the brain cells and results in sleep disturbances, loss of appetite or sexual desire etc. The body’s balance of hormones may also play a role in the development of depression in a person (Centre for Clinical Interventions). In addition to this, there are psychological factors that can cause depression. The first one is a personality type. The recent researches have shown that some people are more vulnerable to depression than others in case they have particular character traits, such as self-criticism, low self-esteem, high interpersonal sensitivity, high levels of anxiety, perfectionism etc. Stressful life events, for instance, childhood trauma, loss or death of a relative or a loved one, financial problems, difficulties in families, physical illness, alcoholism and drug abuse etc., can also contribute to the development of depression (Black Dog Institute). Clinical depression, especially being untreated, can have a negative effect on a person’s health. Depression causes changes in sleep. In particular, people with depression report having problems with falling asleep and /or waking in the middle of the night;