The most important thing is to recognise the signs and symptoms and seek support. Find out more about depression and anxiety, available treatments and where to get help in your local area. For a full list of references for the statistics on this page, and any others across the website, please visit the references page and search through the relevant category. Sign up below for regular emails filled with information, advice and support for you or your loved ones.
You are currently: Home The facts Depression What causes depression? What causes depression? Life events Research suggests that continuing difficulties — long-term unemployment, living in an abusive or uncaring relationship, long-term isolation or loneliness, prolonged work stress — are more likely to cause depression than recent life stresses.
Personal factors Family history — Depression can run in families and some people will be at an increased genetic risk. Life circumstances and other personal factors are still likely to have an important influence. Personality — Some people may be more at risk of depression because of their personality, particularly if they have a tendency to worry a lot, have low self-esteem, are perfectionists, are sensitive to personal criticism, or are self-critical and negative.
Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Brown AY. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Research report: Psychiatry and psychology, Mayo Clinic.
Accessed Jan. Depressive disorders. Arlington, Va. National Institute of Mental Health. National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Depression: What you need to know. What is depression? American Psychiatric Association. NIH Senior Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Depression and complementary health approaches: What the science says.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Natural Medicines. Natural medicines in the clinical management of depression. The road to resilience. American Psychological Association. Simon G, et al. Unipolar depression in adults: Choosing initial treatment. Stewart D, et al. Kimmel MC, et al. Safety of infant exposure to antidepressants and benzodiazepines through breastfeeding. Bipolar and related disorders. It can occur for a variety of reasons and it has many different triggers.
For some people, an upsetting or stressful life event, such as bereavement , divorce, illness, redundancy and job or money worries, can be the cause. Different causes can often combine to trigger depression.
For example, you may feel low after being ill and then experience a traumatic event, such as a bereavement, which brings on depression. People often talk about a "downward spiral" of events that leads to depression.
For example, if your relationship with your partner breaks down, you're likely to feel low, you may stop seeing friends and family and you may start drinking more. All of this can make you feel worse and trigger depression.
Some studies have also suggested that you're more likely to get depression as you get older, and that it's more common in people who live in difficult social and economic circumstances.
Most people take time to come to terms with stressful events, such as bereavement or a relationship breakdown. When these stressful events occur, your risk of becoming depressed is increased if you stop seeing your friends and family and try to deal with your problems on your own. You may be more vulnerable to depression if you have certain personality traits, such as low self-esteem or being overly self-critical.
This may be because of the genes you've inherited from your parents, your early life experiences, or both.
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