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Biological Factor of Depression

Depression is characterized by a negative state and unwillingness to act. Depression

affects a person's thoughts, conduct, motivation, feelings, and sense of well-being, and it is

classified medically as a mental condition. The sign of depression is a loss of interest in or

pleasure from specific activities that normally offer individuals delight. Depressed mood is a

symptom of some mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder, it is also a symptom of

some physical conditions and a side effect of some drugs and medical treatments, and it is a

typical temporary reaction to life events, such as the loss of a loved one. Sadness, difficulty in

thinking and concentrating, and a large rise or decrease in hunger and time spent sleeping are all

possible symptoms of this. People who are depressed may experience feelings of despair,

hopelessness, and suicide ideation. It can be for a short or extended period it depends on the

person having it.

Depression is a serious and common mental disorder nowadays according to Word

Health Organization (2021) an estimated 3.8% of the population is affected, including 5.0%
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among adults and 5.7% among adults older than 60 years. Approximately 280 million people in

the world have depression. Depression is different from usual mood fluctuations and short-lived

emotional responses to challenges in everyday life. Especially when recurrent and with moderate

or severe intensity, depression may become a serious health condition. It can cause the affected

person to suffer greatly and function poorly at work, at school, and in the family. At its worst,

depression can lead to suicide. Over 700 000 people die due to suicide every year. Suicide is the

fourth leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds. So that all of our needs to be aware of it, we

need to be educated of what it is this disorder called depression, and how we going to fight with

this. When someone is sad, they are unable to see things clearly and think rationally. For

depressed people, life frequently does not seem worth living because nothing matters or holds

any interest for them. It's critical to get therapy for depression before the symptoms become so

severe that the person achieves a fast to commit acts of violence against himself or others. Britt

Hedman Ahlström (2009) published this study about living with major depression, he observed a

family whose both parents are suffering from depression so during the depression the family

members lost their energy and could not manage everyday life. ‘Uncertainty and instability are

affecting life’; everyday life in the families was unstable and emotions influenced the

atmosphere. ‘Living on the edge of the community: the families periodically lived in seclusion.

‘Everyday life becomes hard’; everyday life was demanding for everyone in the family and the

responsibility shifted between family members. Families as a whole, as well as individuals, have

their own unique ways of coping and finding fulfillment within the realm of possibilities. The

experiences of the families were demanding. Children were aware of their parents' depression,

were involved in day-to-day living, and were affected emotionally by the circumstance. This

validates the importance of nurses and other healthcare professionals understanding a family's
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perspective on the situation, including partners and children, and taking their experiences into

account when assisting and guiding a family. It's important to devise techniques that involve

children in the planning, provision, and receipt of care, as well as relieve them of obligation. It's

also important to assist the family in developing their coping methods for dealing with a big

depressive episode. Depression treatment can take many forms, but one that is proving to be

quite beneficial to depressed people is to go to a treatment center with a residence. When a

person suffering from clinical depression enters this type of facility, they will have access to the

best depression treatment, which may include meditation, yoga, psychotherapy, and individual

and group sessions. The holistic professionals on staff are highly skilled individuals who have

extensive expertise in treating clients with depressive issues. The client benefits from a holistic

approach to depression treatment in terms of mind, body, and spirit. The best way to cure

depression is to address it on all levels, which is exactly what a residential treatment program

does.

According to Henning Tiemer (2003) in his study, he summarizes the evidence on the

associations of cerebrovascular pathology, inflammation, and endocrine and nutritional status

with depression in the elderly. The most consistent finding in biological psychiatry is the

disturbance of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in depressed persons. About half of the

patients with severe depression have a disturbed glucocorticoid feedback mechanism and many

exhibit hypercortisolism. Longitudinal studies show that this endocrine dysfunction increases the

risk of relapse. More recently, silent brain infarcts and cerebral white matter lesions on MRI

were found to be more frequent in the depressed elderly than in controls. Cerebral small vessel

disease has been rediscovered as a potential cause of depression. What is cerebral small vessel

disease, Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is composed of several diseases affecting the
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small arteries, arterioles, venules, and capillaries of the brain, and refers to several pathological

processes and etiologies. Neuroimaging features of CSVD include recent small subcortical

infarcts, lacunes, white matter hyperintensities, perivascular spaces, microbleeds, and brain

atrophy. The main clinical manifestations of CSVD include stroke, cognitive decline, dementia,

psychiatric disorders, abnormal gait, and urinary incontinence. Currently, there are no specific

preventive or therapeutic measures to improve this condition. In this review, we will discuss the

pathophysiology, clinical aspects, neuroimaging, progress of research to treat and prevent

CSVD, and current treatment of this disease Li et al. (2018). This cerebral small vessel has this

two components, the leptomeninges vasoganglion which is derived from subarachnoid space

covering, and the convex surface of the brain. Next is the, perforating arteries are derived from

anterior, middle, posterior cerebral arteries that supply the subcortical parenchyma. It is very

crucial to the maintenance of adequate blood flow to the sub-surface brain structure. They

include small arteries, arterioles, venules, and capillaries. Also this CSVD according to the study

it can cause a functional loss, disability, cognitive decline, and Neuropsychiatric symptoms

which include depression. This study is evidence that the environment of an individual is not

only the factor of having such disorder. Also, Lohoff (2010) said that genetic factors play

important roles in the development of MDD, as indicated by family, twin, and adoption studies,

and may reveal important information about disease mechanisms. Expectedly genetic may affect

depression.

Recognizing and treating depression is important because if you have depression not only

you will suffer from it but also the people who surround you. But most especially it is important

to treat depression for you to live life free and happy as well or in short to live healthily.

Depression can decrease, the quality of life, and we individuals should not let it happen.
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Depression will make you empty losses all your energy and you may feel so helpless but you

need to fight with this. Try to be more open, accept what going through, and love yourself more.

If you want to shout and cry then release it all let yourself feel the emotions inside of you.

Always remember that your life is today is doesn’t inactivate your life in the future, Today’s

mood, emotions, or thoughts don’t belong to tomorrow. It is because tomorrow is a brand-new

day wherein it might be beautiful than today. Accept that life is not perfect there would be days

that are not easy and days that are great. Also, remember that positive and negative is always a

combo try to not generalize your things it just makes you feel bad if circumstances occur badly

then see the positive side of it. It may help you ease the situation.

References

Tiemeier, H. (2003, August). Review: Biological risk factors for late life depression.

Retrieved November 03, 2021, from

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1025388203548

Ahlström, B., Skärsäter, I., & Danielson, E. (2009, March 11). Living with major

depression: Experiences from families' perspectives. Retrieved November 03, 2021, from

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1471-6712.2008.00624.x

World health organization. (2021, September 13). Depression. Retrieved November 03,

2021, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression

Li, Q., Yang, Y., Reis, C., Tao, T., Li, W., Li, X., & Zhang, J. (2018, December).

Cerebral Small Vessel disease. Retrieved November 03, 2021, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6300773/
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Lohoff, F. (2010, December). Overview of the genetics of major depressive disorder.

Retrieved November 03, 2021, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3077049/