Why does someone develop depression?
It sounds like a simple question, but there is rarely a simple answer.
One person may develop depression following bereavement or prolonged financial stress. Another may experience depression despite having no obvious recent crisis. Some people experience repeated depressive episodes, while others experience one episode during their lifetime.
Depression is not caused by weakness, laziness or simply having a negative attitude.
According to the World Health Organization, depression results from a complex interaction of social, psychological and biological factors.
Genetics can matter.
Life experiences can matter.
Physical health can matter.
Relationships and living conditions can matter.
And several factors may interact at the same time.
Understanding these influences can help remove some of the stigma surrounding depression.
Here are 12 factors that may increase someone's vulnerability to depression or contribute to a depressive episode.
1. Genetics and Family History
Depression can run in families.
Research suggests that genetic factors contribute to a person's vulnerability to depression.
But genes are not destiny.
Having a parent, sibling or other close relative with depression does not mean that you will definitely develop it.
Likewise, people with no known family history can still experience depression.
Rather than thinking of a single “depression gene,” it is more accurate to understand depression as a complex condition influenced by many biological and environmental factors.
2. Traumatic or Adverse Experiences
Traumatic experiences can have lasting effects on mental health.
Examples can include:
- physical or sexual abuse
- emotional abuse
- domestic violence
- serious accidents
- war
- forced displacement
- witnessing violence
- other frightening or overwhelming experiences.
Adverse experiences during childhood can also influence mental health later in life.
However, trauma does not automatically lead to depression.
People respond differently to difficult experiences, and many people demonstrate considerable resilience.
Professional psychological support can be valuable when past or recent trauma continues to affect everyday life.
3. Bereavement and Major Loss
Losing someone you love can cause profound sadness.
Grief itself is not automatically a mental disorder.
People can experience:
- sadness
- anger
- numbness
- difficulty sleeping
- appetite changes
- longing
- difficulty concentrating
as part of bereavement.
For many people, grief gradually changes with time.
However, bereavement and other severe losses can increase vulnerability to depression in some individuals.
Other losses can also be psychologically significant, including:
- divorce
- relationship breakdown
- miscarriage
- loss of employment
- loss of independence
- serious financial loss.
If grief or low mood becomes overwhelming or significantly interferes with everyday functioning, professional support may help.
4. Chronic Stress
Stress is part of life, but severe or prolonged stress can affect mental health.
Possible sources include:
- excessive workload
- caregiving responsibilities
- relationship conflict
- financial difficulties
- unemployment
- insecure employment
- housing problems
- discrimination
- legal difficulties
- chronic illness.
WHO identifies adverse life events such as unemployment, bereavement and traumatic experiences as factors associated with increased risk of depression.
Stress does not affect everyone in the same way.
The presence of supportive relationships, financial security, coping skills, community resources and access to healthcare can all influence how someone manages difficult circumstances.
5. Loneliness and Social Isolation
Humans need meaningful social connection.
Social isolation and loneliness can negatively affect mental and physical health.
Someone can also feel lonely even while surrounded by people.
Risk can increase following circumstances such as:
- moving somewhere new
- bereavement
- relationship breakdown
- retirement
- living alone
- disability
- caregiving
- social exclusion.
Building supportive relationships can help protect mental well-being, although loneliness should not be treated as the sole explanation for every case of depression.
6. Chronic Physical Illness
Mental and physical health are closely connected.
People living with chronic medical conditions may have an increased risk of depression.
Examples can include:
- cancer
- diabetes
- cardiovascular disease
- chronic pain
- neurological conditions
- autoimmune diseases
- other long-term illnesses.
There are several possible reasons.
Living with illness can involve:
- pain
- fatigue
- uncertainty
- disability
- financial pressure
- changes in independence
- difficult treatment
- disruption to work and relationships.
Some diseases may also affect biological processes related to mood.
Depression can, in turn, make managing a chronic condition more difficult.
This is one reason healthcare should consider both physical and mental well-being.
7. Certain Medical Conditions Can Resemble Depression
Not every case of fatigue, low mood or poor concentration is necessarily caused by a primary depressive disorder.
Some medical conditions can cause symptoms that resemble depression.
For example, thyroid disorders and other illnesses may sometimes contribute to similar symptoms.
This is one reason a healthcare professional may consider physical health when assessing someone for depression.
Depending on the circumstances, assessment may include:
- medical history
- current symptoms
- medicines
- physical examination
- appropriate laboratory tests.
Don't diagnose the cause of persistent symptoms yourself based solely on an internet checklist.
8. Sleep Problems
Sleep and depression have a complicated two-way relationship.
Depression can cause:
- insomnia
- waking unusually early
- disrupted sleep
- excessive sleeping.
At the same time, persistent sleep problems are associated with poorer mental health and may increase vulnerability to depression.
What we can say confidently is that sleep and mental health strongly influence one another.
Persistent sleep problems deserve attention—especially when they occur alongside low mood, loss of interest, fatigue or difficulty functioning.
9. Alcohol and Other Substance Use
Alcohol and drugs can interact with mental health in complicated ways.
Some people use substances in an attempt to cope with emotional distress.
But harmful substance use can:
- worsen mood
- interfere with sleep
- affect relationships
- cause financial or employment difficulties
- interfere with treatment
- increase impulsive behaviour.
Depression and substance-use disorders can also occur together.
Someone experiencing both deserves appropriate care for both conditions rather than judgement.
10. Hormonal and Reproductive Changes
Some people experience depression in association with major reproductive or hormonal periods.
Examples include depression occurring:
- during pregnancy
- after childbirth
- around perimenopause
- in association with severe premenstrual mood symptoms.
These conditions should not be dismissed as someone simply being “hormonal.”
Depression during pregnancy and after childbirth can be serious and deserves appropriate healthcare.
What about hormonal birth control?
Research into hormonal contraception and mood is complex, and responses vary among individuals.
If you notice significant mood changes after starting or changing contraception, discuss them with a qualified healthcare professional.
Do not abruptly stop an effective contraceptive method based solely on an internet article without considering pregnancy risk and appropriate alternatives.
11. Some Medicines May Contribute to Mood Symptoms
Medicines can occasionally contribute to mood changes or symptoms resembling depression.
But this needs careful handling.
That can be dangerous because readers might stop important treatment.
If you notice significant mood changes after beginning or changing a medicine:
do not simply stop taking it on your own.
Speak with the healthcare professional who prescribed it or another qualified professional.
They can consider:
- whether the medicine could be contributing
- the dose
- other medicines
- underlying medical conditions
- alternative treatments.
Stopping certain medicines suddenly can itself be harmful.
12. Seasonal Patterns
Some people experience recurrent depression associated with particular seasons.
This is known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or depression with a seasonal pattern.
Winter-pattern SAD is more common.
Symptoms generally begin during autumn or winter and improve during spring or summer.
A less common summer pattern can also occur.
This is more specific than simply saying that “weather causes depression.”
According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, seasonal changes in daylight and associated biological rhythms are thought to play an important role in winter-pattern SAD.
Treatment may include options such as:
- psychotherapy
- antidepressant medication
- appropriately administered light therapy
- other individually appropriate treatment.
If depression repeatedly appears during the same season, discuss the pattern with a healthcare professional.
What About Bullying?
Bullying deserves particular attention.
Repeated bullying can have serious consequences for mental health, especially among children and adolescents.
It can involve:
- physical aggression
- verbal abuse
- social exclusion
- humiliation
- online harassment.
Bullying is recognised as an important risk factor for mental-health difficulties.
Children and adults experiencing bullying deserve support rather than being told simply to ignore it or “be stronger.”
Schools, families, workplaces and communities all have roles in creating safer environments.
Can Financial Problems Contribute to Depression?
Yes, financial insecurity can place enormous psychological pressure on people.
Debt, unemployment, insecure employment, inability to afford basic necessities and fear of losing housing can all contribute to chronic stress.
However, it would be unfair to treat financial hardship merely as a personal mental-health problem.
Sometimes the source of distress is a genuine practical problem.
Mental-health support can help someone cope, but practical assistance with:
- debt
- employment
- housing
- benefits or social support
- legal problems
may also be important.
Mental well-being is affected by the conditions in which people live.
Do City Residents Have a Higher Risk of Depression?
The relationship between where someone lives and mental health is complicated.
Mental health can be influenced by features of both urban and rural environments.
Relevant factors may include:
- poverty
- housing
- pollution
- violence
- social isolation
- employment opportunities
- access to green space
- access to healthcare
- community connection.
Location by itself does not determine whether someone will become depressed.
Does Not Eating Fish Cause Depression?
No.
Fish can be a nutritious part of many diets and provides nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids.
But not eating fish should not be presented as a cause of depression.
People can maintain nutritious diets without fish, including appropriately planned vegetarian and vegan diets.
Likewise, omega-3 supplements should not be presented as a guaranteed way to prevent depression.
Relationship Problems and Depression
Conflict within families, marriages and other relationships can create significant emotional stress.
Relationship breakdown can also contribute to loneliness, financial difficulties, housing changes and loss of social support.
But the old claim that not getting along with siblings before age 20 causes depression later in life is far too specific to present as established fact.
What matters more broadly is that relationships and social environments can influence mental well-being throughout life.
Supportive relationships can be protective.
Persistently abusive, violent or highly stressful relationships can damage mental health.
Depression Is Usually Not One Person's Fault
One of the dangers of talking about “causes of depression” is that people begin looking for someone to blame.
The individual.
Their parents.
Their spouse.
Their employer.
Their lifestyle.
Their personality.
Depression is usually much more complicated.
Two people can experience the same traumatic event and respond very differently.
Someone can have many recognised risk factors and never develop depression.
Another person can experience depression without being able to identify one obvious trigger.
Risk factors increase probability; they do not determine someone's future.
What Does Depression Feel Like?
Depression is different from ordinary temporary sadness.
During a depressive episode, symptoms occur for most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.
Symptoms may include:
- persistent sadness, irritability or emptiness
- loss of interest or pleasure
- difficulty concentrating
- hopelessness
- excessive guilt or low self-worth
- changes in sleep
- changes in appetite or weight
- fatigue or low energy
- thoughts about death or suicide.
Symptoms can interfere with relationships, work, education and everyday responsibilities.
Not everyone experiences depression in exactly the same way.
Depression Is Treatable
Having depression does not mean someone simply needs to become more positive.
Effective treatments exist.
Depending on the person's needs and severity of depression, treatment may include:
- psychological therapies
- antidepressant medication
- addressing contributing medical conditions
- social and practical support
- lifestyle support
- combinations of these approaches.
The appropriate treatment should be individualised.
A qualified healthcare or mental-health professional can help determine the most suitable approach.
When Should You Seek Help?
Consider speaking with a healthcare professional if symptoms such as low mood or loss of interest:
- persist
- are becoming worse
- significantly interfere with everyday life
- affect work, education or relationships
- make it difficult to care for yourself
- are accompanied by thoughts of death or self-harm.
You do not need to identify exactly why you are depressed before asking for help.
Assessment can help identify psychological, social and medical factors that may be contributing.
If You Are Thinking About Suicide or Self-Harm
Depression can increase the risk of suicide, but suicidal thoughts should never be treated as inevitable or dismissed as someone making an “irrational decision.”
If you believe you may harm yourself, have made plans to do so, or cannot keep yourself safe, seek immediate help through your local emergency medical service, crisis service or an appropriate emergency healthcare facility.
If possible, tell someone you trust what is happening and avoid remaining alone during an immediate crisis.
Emergency and crisis services differ around the world, so use the appropriate service available in your country.
The Bottom Line
Depression rarely has one simple cause.
It develops through a complex interaction of biological, psychological, social and environmental influences.
Factors that may contribute include:
- genetics
- trauma
- bereavement
- chronic stress
- loneliness
- physical illness
- sleep problems
- substance use
- reproductive and hormonal factors
- certain medicines
- seasonal patterns
- difficult social circumstances.
But having one—or even several—risk factors does not mean someone will inevitably develop depression.
And developing depression does not mean someone has failed to cope with life.
Most importantly, depression is a real health condition for which effective treatments are available.
Medical Disclaimer
This article provides general educational information and is not a substitute for professional mental-health or medical diagnosis and treatment. Depression can have multiple contributing factors, and some medical conditions or medicines can produce similar symptoms. Speak with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional about persistent or concerning symptoms. If you are at immediate risk of harming yourself, contact your local emergency or crisis service immediately.
Sources and Further Reading
World Health Organization — Depressive Disorder (Depression)
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
World Health Organization — Mental Health
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response
National Institute of Mental Health — Depression
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression
National Institute of Mental Health — Chronic Illness and Mental Health
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/chronic-illness-mental-health
National Institute of Mental Health — Seasonal Affective Disorder
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder
CDC — About Mental Health
https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/about/index.html
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