Mental health articles

Biological components of depression

There are several internal (biological) sources of depression. Most common of these is a hormonal imbalance. This can be after giving birth (post natal depression), or during adolescence, or during the menopause (in both men and women). There are also some illnesses where depression is often a consequence, like glandular fever or chronic fatigue syndrome. These have depression as a “biological” component, as well as the psychological one where your life effectively has been torn up for a while. Some viral infections can also have depression as a symptom (or a consequence) and so can some vitamin deficiencies. These types of depressions are sometimes called “endogenous depression”. Some scientists think that people who persistently are in a good mood have a higher amount of natural endorphins, serotonin and dopamine. This implies that people in depression might have—for some reason—lower levels of these neurotransmitters.

Tags: biological, depression