IS DEPRESSION CAUSED BY GENETIC FACTORS OR ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

The findings of this study will be expected to illuminate many areas of concern, because for any problem that is so prevalent in the society in the contemporary days, in order to get a solution there is need to establish the exact cause and the risk factors. The research will allow argue out the cause that is more likely from the findings based on the strengths of the one upheld and the weaknesses of the one rejected. Depression is a condition that is very prominent in the contemporary society, and so it needs a lot of depth in dealing with it in order to help it out of the lives of people. Many people who find themselves in depression attempt to manage it by dealing with the wrong cause, and so they end up failing in their treatment.

Therefore, this research will try to balance the different views about the causes of depression, and select a position that is stronger to defend the findings. Researchers have varied views about this issue. There are some who maintain that depression is related to genetics while others argue that depression is dependent mainly on environment. However, both of these claims are true because environmental and genetic contexts predispose an individual to depression. This means that none of these factors should be gotten rid of, because both have a significant role they play in the course of depression. And so, I concur with scholar Smoller that since depression falls in the same category with other mental illnesses, then it must have similarities in the causes, which supports the thesis that depression is caused by both genetics and environmental factors.

Therefore, since depression is in the category of the mental disorders as listed, it is logical that its cause can as well be linked to genetics (Lohoff 541). Interaction between the environmental conditions and the body also leads to development of depression. This view claims that although depression is a condition that affects the mental system, it is not just about the physical or the state of the human body that has a share in the whole course of depression. The human psyche and all the complex processes that are in existence in a human life can also precipitate depression. Human psyche and the body’s state have similarities. In the conclusion of their study, these researchers came up with four points concerning depression patients with history of childhood abuse.

They stated that these patients have: a) Higher courses of chronic disease b) Reduced rates of recovery and remission c) Earlier development of symptoms of depression d) Longer depressive episodes (Saveanu & Nemeroff 59). Considering these reports then, I can support my thesis that history of abuse, which falls under environmental factors, contributes in the onset of depression. What happens in the surroundings can result in higher chances of development of depression, and so it is true that depression has its roots in environmental factors as well. Therefore, all these results are a clear demonstration of the fact that environmental factors and life events play a significant role in development of depression, as it is in the thesis of this paper. This results in agreement between the environmental and genetic interaction which modifies an individual’s mood.

So, neither of the groups is wrong in their hypothesis. The cause of depression can be traced to both causes- genetic and environmental. In conclusion therefore, it can be seen that the interaction between genetics and environmental factors contribute to the development of depression. They both have an important role in the course of depression. Monroe, Scott M. , George M. Slavich, and Katholiki Georgiades. "The social environment and depression: The roles of life stress. Monroe et al pose an argument that the way of life of an individual is a great risk for development of depression. Smoller, Jordan W. "The genetics of stress-related disorders: PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorders. " Neuropsychopharmacology 41. Smoller has it that most of the depressive illnesses result from genetic roots.