PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY IN UNDERSTANDIN G MENTAL ILLNESS Name

PSYCHOLOGY
AND SOCIOLOGY
IN
UNDERSTANDIN
G MENTAL
ILLNESS
Name of the student:
Name of the University:

DEPRESSION
Depression is a type of mood disorder
characterized by symptoms of low
mood, sadness, loss of interest in daily
life activities, low level of self-esteem
and low energy level for a prolonged
period of time.
Possible cause of depression:
 Genetic cause
 Impact of biological changes such as
released of neurotransmitters in
response to stress
 Environmental cause
 Psychosocial cause such as social
isolation and poor social support
(Belzung, Willner and Philippot 2015)
Risk factors of depression:
 Patient with negative life events such as
bereavement and exposure to trauma
 Presence of complex medical illness
 Addiction to drug use