Introduction
Depression is a disease affecting a large part of the population today. Though many people experience sadness from time to time, depression is a much more complex disease. It affects a person’s daily life and often results in physical pain. Unlike the occasional feelings of sadness that fade away, depression lasts longer (NIMH, 2014).
Biopsychology involves the scientific study of the relationship between behavior and biology (Green, 2013). In the study of their relationship, biology and behavior mostly interact in the brain and nervous system. It will also apply to the analysis of depression in relation to the biology; this study analyzes the connection between biological factors and depression. It explores different aspects of depression including; causes, symptoms, effects and possible treatment. The analysis also incorporates psychology in understanding depression. The discussion below shows how biological and psychological factors interact in depression.
Depression
A person with depression usually experiences feelings of sadness; the feelings do not go away for a long time; days, weeks, and even months. Generally, depression can be described as a disturbance in mood, body and thought characterized by varying degrees of sadness, loneliness, disappointment, self-doubt, hopelessness and guilt. Bio-psychologically, changes in a person’s biological structures may result in psychological displays through mood changes. On the other hand, the psychological displays such as sadness may trigger biological changes. It is a common illnesse; in the UK, for example, one out of every six people suffer from depression; though its causes are often unclear, it may result from a variety of factors. Some of the factors include; childhood problems, dementia, severe physical illness, unemployment, bereavement, and family problems among others (British Psychological Society, 2014).
Forms of depression
Despite the generalized description, there are different forms of depression; the depressive disorders are distinct from one another. Major depressive disorders have a combination of symptoms; these affect the person’s ability to sleep, study, work, eat and enjoy once pleasurable activities (Stephen, 2004). Subsequently, there is Dysthymic disorder; it has long-term symptoms lasting up to 2 years or more. Though the symptoms are not severe and do not disable a person. There are other forms of depression resulting from different circumstances such as; psychiatric depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and post-partum disorder. Psychotic depression is apparent in people suffering from severe psychosis and depression; they develop false beliefs, delusions and hallucinations. Post-Partum depression results from the realization of the responsibility of taking care of a new-born child.
Signs and symptoms
People suffering from depressive disorders may not necessarily display similar signs and symptoms; the biopsychology of depression breaks down and distinctively identifies the physical, biological and psychological symptoms of depression. Changes are apparent in; behavior and attitudes, feelings and perceptions, and physical complaints. First and foremost, perception and feelings changes are unavoidable. A person with a depressive disorder is likely to experience crying spells; they cry a lot even for insignificant reasons. In extreme cases, they may exhibit emotional unresponsiveness. They do not find pleasure in things that previously interested them. They experience feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and helplessness. They experience feelings of failure, self-blame and guilt for life events. In most cases, they lose sexual desire and warm feelings towards loved ones.
There are also apparent behavior and attitude changes; it happens through withdrawal from friends, lack of interest in prior activities, neglected appearance, lack of a sense of responsibility, and dissatisfaction with life in general. He/she may exhibit impaired memory, confusion, indecisiveness and inability to concentrate (Stephen, 2005). In reference to physical abilities, depressed people experience; lack of energy, chronic fatigue, appetite loss or compulsive eating, insomnia or excessive sleeping, stomach pains, indigestion, nausea and a change in bowel patterns.
Related illnesses
A depressed person is likely to suffer from other related illnesses; the illnesses may be the causes or results of depression. Some of the main illnesses associated with depression is anxiety disorders such as; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, panic disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and social phobia. PTSD, for example, happens when a person experiences a traumatic life event such as; accident, natural disaster and violent assault. Alcohol and substance abuse also associate with depression; drugs alter and often weaken body functioning; the changes result in physical and mood changes. For example, withdrawal causes mood disorders that may lead to depression. Depression also results from the realization of severe illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, stroke or heart disease.
Causes
There are different forms of stressors that can result in depression; they may be biological or psychological. Some of the psychological causes of depression may be a person’s personality or environmental factors such as; an unhealthy relationship, severe financial setback, the loss of a loved one, unrealistic expectations, negativism, excessive criticism and challenges in self-expression.
Some of the biological and chemical factors may be; infections, illnesses, drug including prescribed medications and alcohol, and poor diet. The factors alter bodily functions and create an imbalance resulting in depression; families with a history of depression present higher cases of depression in comparison to those without. It is thus apparent that depression is a way that the body copes with or withdraws from physical and psychological stressors.
Depression emerges from interference with the chemical neurotransmitters responsible for the transfer of signals from one nerve cell to the next. The neurotransmitters include; serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, gamma-aminobutyric and acetylcholine (Stahl et al. 2004).
Significant evidence from studies reveal the effects of genetics on depression; there is significant predisposition towards the acquisition of depression. The study on twins revealed a high risk of acquiring depression genetically. Though depression often results from life events, a person’s genes may increase the risk. Some genes associate with certain personality characteristics and high anxiety levels, for instance, the short arm of the serotonin transporter gene. The study of inheritance of genes in families focused on fraternal and identical twins. Identical twins share 100% of their genes, whereas, fraternal twins share only 50% of the genes. In support of genetic predisposition, the study revealed that an identical twin exhibited a high risk of suffering from depression if his/her sibling suffered from depression. The fraternal twin had a lower risk of suffering from depression even if his/her twin had depression. The analysis shows that depression is gene-related.
Depression results from a combination of biological, genetic, psychological and environmental factors as discussed. Bio-psychologically, depression, is a disorder of the brain. Studies show that it results from the imbalance on crucial neurotransmitters; these are chemicals used by brain cells in communication (NIMH, 2014).
Biological effects of depression
Depression results in structural alterations within the brain; there are changes in the brain’s physical form. They result from change in the flow of blood, altered glucose metabolism and other factors.
Depression affects the; hippocampus, hypothalamus, anterior cingulate gyrus, amygdala, and the limbic system. The limbic system facilitates emotion formation, learning, processing and memory. The hypothalamus controls metabolic processes such as body temperature and hunger. The thalamus is also affected by depression; it facilitates the filtering of sensory information. Other parts of the brain affected by depression include prefrontal cortex and the corpus callosum. Depression mostly affects the prefrontal cortex; this is particularly in the ventromedial region. Its dense connection with the limbic system facilitates the linking of conscious and unconscious. It also allocates meanings to perception through their association with meaningful wholes; the area is controlled by neurotransmitters involved in depression.
Diagnosis and treatment
There are different treatments available for depression; they develop in relation to the bio-psychological aspect of depression. Thus, there are treatments focused on dealing with the physical, biological and psychological aspects. Depression cases with biological origins require physical treatments through medication; these include tranquilizers, antidepressants and mood stabilizers. Some common antidepressants include; Tricyclics, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, and Irreversible Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors. The drugs influence the creation of neurotransmitter pathways. Major tranquilizers are used in the treatment and control of psychiatric depression symptoms. Mood stabilizers, on the other hand, help in managing bipolar disorder; they reduce the frequency and severity of mood swings.
Electroconvulsive therapy helps in the treatment of psychotic depression, severe postnatal depression and other severe forms of depression. Depression resulting from psychological, personality factors and stressful life events requires both physical and psychological treatments. The main psychological treatments include; mindfulness meditation, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, psychotherapy, counseling and interpersonal therapy (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).
Biological effects of antidepressants
Antidepressants are necessary in the treatment of depression; their efficiency emerges from the influence they have on neurotransmitters and brain circuits associated with depression (Stahl et al. 2004). As discussed, depression affects the role of neurotransmitters in the transfer of signals from a nerve cell to the next, within the brain.
There are reuptake inhibitors; these are the most common antidepressants. The reuptake process involves the absorption of neurotransmitters into the axon after release into the synapse. The blocking of the reuptake process facilitates neurotransmission; this occurs through antidepressant use. Once introduced into the body they prevent the natural reabsorption of neurotransmitters back into the brain nerve cells. It means that, ensuring a high level of neurotransmitters facilitates the efficient communication within the brain
Various reuptake inhibitors target specific neurotransmitters. For instance, Selective Serotonin reuptake inhibitors target serotonin. Serotonin and Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors target both norepinephrine and serotonin. Norepinephrine and Dopamine reuptake inhibitors prevent the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine (Stahl, 2004).
Antidepressants affect neurotransmitters in three significant ways; these include neurotransmitter reabsorption into the releasing cell, neurotransmitter degradation, and neurotransmitter binding (Stephen, 2005). An inhibition of the neurotransmitter reuptake or degradation increases the number of neurotransmitters in the synapse. Binding thus increases at the postsynaptic receptors due to increased monoamine neurotransmitter concentration. The antidepressant monoamine oxidase inhibitor is also significant in increasing neurotransmitter content in the cleft. It inhibits the monoamine oxidase enzyme; this is an enzyme that degrades monoamine transmitters once they are reabsorbed into the presynaptic neuron. In general, antidepressants facilitate the increase in neurotransmitter binding at the postsynaptic receptors; this occurs through an increase in the concentration of available neurotransmitters.
Conclusion
Depression remains a common and severe disorder worldwide; it affects people of different ages, races and physical abilities. Though depression is a treatable disease, it is crucial to identify and deal with it in its early stages. Treating depression is efficient only if it is comprehensively understood. The biopsychology of depression provides an avenue through which the disease can be analyzed and understood. It sheds light on the biological causes, effects, forms, related illnesses, symptoms, diagnosis and treatments, and effects of depression antidepressants on brain processes. It highlights parts of the brain affected by depression and how the effects can be reversed through the use of antidepressants and other treatments. It provides efficient strategies and medications in treating depression and eliminating the possibility of a recurrence (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).
Reference
British Psychological Society (2014). Depression- what, who, why and how to help. St. Andrews House. Retrieved March 16, 2014 from http://www.bps.org.uk/system/files/documents/depression_information_leaflet_O.pdf
Greene, S. (2013). Principles of Biopsychology. East Essex: Psychology Press Limited. ISBN 1135064652
National Institute of Mental Health (2014). Depression. Retrieved March 16, 2014 from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications.depression-booklet.pdf
Richelson, E. (2003). Interaction of Antidepressants with Neurotransmitter Transporters and Receptors and their Clinical Relevance. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Vol. 64(13):pp. 5-12. Retrieved March 18, 2014 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14552650
Sin, N. L. and Lyubomirsky, S. (2009). Enhancing Wellbeing and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms with Positive Psychology Interventions: A practice-friendly meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 65(5):pp. 467-487. Retrieved March 16, 2014 from http://www.sonjalyubomirsky.com/wp- content/themes/sonjalyubomirsky/papers/SL2009.pdf
Stahl, S. M., Pradko, J. F., Haight, B. R., Modell, J. G., Rockett, C. B. and Learned-Coughlin, S. (2004). A Review of the Neuropharmacology of Bupropion, a Dual Norepinephrine and Dopamine Re-uptake Inhibitor. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Vol. 6(4): 159-166. Retrieved March 18, 2014 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC514842/
Stephen, E. (2004). The Symptoms, Neurobiology and current Pharmacological Treatment of Depression. Journal of Neuro-scientific Nursing, Vol. 37(2): pp. 102-107, Retrieved March 18, 2014 from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/504001_4
