Psychological Causes (Personality, Social Factors)
A physiological explanation for depression leans toward an assumption that the terms "brain" and "mind" are interchangeable. However, psychological explanations set forth that the body and mind are two separate things. Psychologists tend to emphasize learned behaviors, acquired ways of thinking and personal experience as triggers for depression.
Sigmund Freud was the originator of the split mind/body concept, and although most of his methods are antiquated, he had a profound effect on psychological studies. Psychoanalysis is the study of previous life experience as a
catalyst for depression. Events such as a death in the family, the end of a marriage or childhood trauma are thought to be instrumental in the
development of depression later in life. If a person doesn't have effective coping
strategies, their chances for depression will rise with every subsequent loss.
Another view of depression, the cognitive theory, emphasizes that people's views of themselves, others and their circumstances can also cause the disorder. In other words, a person with a negative outlook is more likely to be depressed. A depressed person typically thinks irrationally in their view of themselves, their current position in life, and their potential for the future.
Cognitive issues are compounded by the depressed individual's tendency to over dramatize events and explain good events away in a negative way. As a person's thoughts become more and more negative, their actions toward others will as well- causing others to pull away and their negative views to be reinforced.
The behavioral theory sets forth that depression is not caused by thought patterns; rather, it is caused by factors in the environment which encourage maladaptive behavior. There are many variations upon this theory, but all stress the role that feedback plays in how an individual feels. A person might become depressed if they get too much negative feedback, or insufficient positive feedback. If a person's behavior and thoughts center around their occupation, any disruption in their work can trigger depression because their behavioral reinforcement has been interrupted.