Risk Factors of Depression
Risk Factors of Depression
Health conditions and disorders take a toll on the mental peace of an individual. Individuals of different age groups are at decent risk of being affected with depression. This can occur in both males and females. Some of them are more prevalent to medical conditions, whereas others are at low risk being concerned with such conditions. Depression is one such illness which affect the mental peace of the concerned patients and can leave a life-long impact on the mental health of the patient. Depression is also popularly known as clinical depression or even depressive disorder in some of the cases depending on the severity of the patient. Millions of individuals across different age groups are presently suffering from depressive disorders. The rising numbers of the patients suffering from depression are rising at an alarming rate which poses to be a threat for the youth and elderly population. Depression can occur due to different reasons, but then patients should be made aware of the fact that there are certain risk factors which must be taken into account while taking precautions measures or even at the time of diagnosis of the condition. The risk factors of depression involve different factors which must be noted to prevent severing of mental illnesses in the concerned individual. Among these risk factors, there are four main risk factors which have a decent contribution in causing depression.
- Genetics: If depression runs in the family, there are high chances of being affected with depression. Also, one of the interesting studies has revealed that if one among the twins is affected by depression, then the other individual has more than 70 percent chances of being diagnosed with depression. Individuals who have found or have come to know about the presence of depressive disorders running in the near and dear ones need to be extra careful to prevent the occurrence of the same. The depression gene can affect the mental health of the individual at any time of the lives.
- Biochemistry: In this, the function of the brain is taken into consideration. The functioning of brain chemicals contributes to the occurrence of depression to a great extent. Some of the most important chemicals present in the brain include neurotransmitters. It monitors the passage of electrical signals from one neuron to another present in the brain. These neurons include serotonin and dopamine. Even medical disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease and Stroke also contribute to specific changes in the brain in terms of structure or chemical components. The seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD is related to a lack of proper exposure to Vitamin D from sunlight. Mental health specialists offer a range of treatments including light therapy, to ensure that the condition of the patient heals over time.
- Environmental factors: Environmental factors pose to be a risk for the patients. Some of these factors include violent, trauma, relationship problems, or any other stressful situation. An individual faces several events since childhood which are difficult to tolerate and no one understands the pain associated with the case.
Thus, there are various significant risk factors which must be kept in mind to prevent the occurrence of depression. Some of the other risk factors include past or childhood abuse, long term illnesses, and ongoing medications which pose to modify the functioning of the body. A mental health specialist must be consulted for expert guidance to recover from this condition.
