Causes of depression

Submitted by Emma Hamilton on Mon, 08/03/2010 - 10:45am

Depression can be caused by a combination of factors. It can be related to family history or a past experience of depression. Depression could be triggered by a sudden distressing event or a series of losses.

Older people often have multiple health problems or take medications that can cause side effects that contribute to depression. Older people with heart disease or stroke are also at risk of depression.

Depression has been linked to physical changes in the brain which affect mood, sleep, thinking and behaviour. A disruption to the way the brain sends messages and an imbalance of important chemicals called neurotransmitters also occurs.

Depression in older people occurs for many reasons. A number of factors can increase the risk of depression in older people.

Risk factors associated with depression include but are not limited to:

Medical conditions such as heart disease, stroke and dementia
Bereavement
Side effects of medications
Thyroid problems
Nutritional deficiency
Living alone
Disability and loss of independence
Past history of depression
Major life changes, retirement, moving into residential care
Chronic pain

Distinguishing depression from dementia can be difficult as both cause changes to memory and thinking. Dementia can often mask the symptoms of depression.

People with dementia won't necessarily be able to communicate how they are feeling making diagnosing depression difficult. Recent changes in behaviour or a decline in physical wellbeing may be a better indicator of depression in people with dementia.

Depression symptoms