Depression can be attributable to multiple factors and there might not be a single identifiable cause for the condition. One may develop depression due to the loss of a loved one, on an account of a family history of depression, in the backdrop of multiple social or financial stresses or it may begin in the background of a chronic medical condition. Some individuals can also experience loneliness and melancholy for no apparent reason at all.
It is crucial to note that recognition of these factors is extremely important so as to be able to provide appropriate intervention for the affected individual’s recovery.
Depression can be broadly classified into the following two types:
Personal Causes: Each individual has a different reaction and behavioural tendency when they come face to face with the same situation or event. There is no one way to determine their behavior under situations that will involve conflict and stress. Such experiences can have a tremendous effect on the individual and their well being.
Social Causes: In addition to the personal causes that may affect the individual’s health, patients might be affected due to social causes as well. The social causes of depression have the potential to change how a person functions in the world and their relationship with others.
Major personal causes for depression among youth include the following:
Stress at College – Stress is a normal, psychological and physical reaction to the positive or negative situations in a person’s life. How one deals with this stress affects the state of one’s being. Constant stress can hamper the productivity and efficiency of a person leading to adverse effects on their well-being.
Loneliness – The feeling of loneliness is said to be subjective as it can strike any individual. A person can be depressed regardless of being alone or being constantly surrounded by people. Symptoms such as sadness, isolation and withdrawal usually display signs of depression in individuals.
Financial Difficulties – One factor that has the potential to impact nearly everyone at some or the other point in their life is personal finance. Researches and studies have established a clear link between mental and financial health. In many instances, that link is cyclical – poor financial health leads to poor mental health, which leads to increasingly poor financial health, and so on. Depression is more likely to occur if an individual faces financial difficulty and such problems.
Losing near or dear ones – The loss of a loved one has the potential to severely impact one's mental health. The person can have a severe bout of sadness that persists for too long which can contribute to the development of depression.
Prolonged Sleep Deprivation – Normal sleep is a restorative state. However, when one’s sleep is disrupted or inadequate, it can lead to increased tension, vigilance and irritability. Physical or emotional trauma and metabolic or other medical problems can trigger sleep disturbances. Poor sleep can lead to fatigue. With fatigue, one exercises less and that leads to a decline in the fitness level. Eventually, the individual is trapped in a vicious cycle of inactivity and disturbed sleep, which causes both physical and mood-related symptoms.
Transition from School to College – The level of pressure that a student faces in their school varies immensely with the pressure that they’re exposed to in their college. With respect to academics, students today feel the increased pressure to know what they want to do, pick a career path, and plan for their future. This transition is a significant milestone in everyone’s life since this can either make or break one’s future. If this hurdle is not handled well, it has the potential to affect the mental as well as physical being of the individual.
No Known Reason – Often, an individual might experience bouts of depression but he might not be able to identify and pinpoint a single cause for their condition. In several situations, it could be attributed to factors like imbalances and changes in the hormonal levels, genetics or other such stimulants for which a medical and family history would become required. In other situations, it might not be possible to understand and analyse the cause for the condition to have developed in the first place.
Major social causes for depression among youth include the following:
Competition – Competition as a value is ingrained into all of us right from our childhood. The underlying belief that emerging victorious from the fray displays strength while coming up short only proves weakness often adversely affects individuals leading to depression.
Peer Pressure – The pressure to conform and obtain approval from one’s social group can lead to individuals feeling confused and at odds with themselves. At a stage when young adults struggle to define and discover themselves, this additional stress causes them to act in ways and manners that they may not be comfortable with.
Relationship Problems – Conditions and limitations put up in any relationship can create negative environments which can create negative moods. Consequentially, lack of communication, interest, energy and motivation surfaces resulting in isolation and withdrawal which may lead to depression.
Body Image and Concern – For young adults, societal acceptance forms a crucial part of their life. The pressure to look and act in a certain manner to fit and achieve a certain status in our society often creates unnecessary pressure to change things about themselves or pretend to be a different identity altogether. This more than often only leads to low self-esteem, anxiety and depression.
Social Media – Social media posts set unrealistic expectations and create feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem in the users of social media. The exposure to highly idealized representations of peers on social media elicit feelings of envy and the distorted belief that others lead happier and more successful lives, which in turn affects the individual negatively. This exposure to social media can cause depression.
Fear of Fitting In – It can be daunting to leave the security of family and old friends. When going to college, students often must leave, or give up one group (of family and friends), to then accommodate and learn about a new group. It can also be stressful to analyse new social norms, learn a new set of behaviours, and consider adopting a particular identity and group affiliation. The fear of not being able to find social connections (people with whom one feels connected) could have a serious impact on one’s health.
Discrimination – The act of making a distinction in favour of or against a person which could be termed as prejudicial or unjust is defined as discrimination. Targeting individuals to continuously attack their personality and particularity could lead to low confidence levels which could further lead to depression.