Depression (mood)

From ArticleWorld

A depressed mood is a feeling of melancholy that differs from clinical depression in that the mood lifts within two weeks. It is a reaction to a situation that usually involves loss, grief or a major social change such as moving house, divorce or losing a job. In psychiatric terms, it also means the condition has become a mental illness in that it is severe enough to require a diagnosis.

Freud was of the opinion that a depressed mood may be beneficial in that it results in the person altering their thought patterns in some way in order to deal with the situation that triggered the mood. It is considered to be a deeply introspective state in that it forces the person affected to look inwards and perhaps change their perspectives.

Causes

Non-clinical depression may be the result of many factors. The environment may be a cause when there is a feeling of a lack of control over it, or it is a monotonous one. Problems on the domestic front or with money may trigger a depressed mood as can events which involve a loss of some sort.

Causes may be psychological in nature such as the result of psychosis or dementia or when a person is simply pessimistic in character. Physiological causes of depression are still being researched but genetics, neurochemistry and hormone imbalances all appear to be involved. Illness and seasonal factors may also trigger a depressed mood.