Evolution and Depression

Scientific American takes a look at depression from a different perspective in asking if perhaps it’s the result of an evolutionary process that’s more helpful than harmful.

The authors posit that our brains play an important role in survival and reproduction, and therefore they should be resistant to high rates of malfunction. Most mental illness is rare, except for depression. Why is that?

One possible answer is that depression isn’t a disorder at all, but rather an adaptation that brings both costs and benefits.

Here’s an example:

So what could be so useful about depression? Depressed people often think intensely about their problems. These thoughts are called ruminations; they are persistent and depressed people have difficulty thinking about anything else. Numerous studies have also shown that this thinking style is often highly analytical. They dwell on a complex problem, breaking it down into smaller components, which are considered one at a time.

Without completing restating the entire article here, the main point being articulated is that depression is nature’s way of letting you know that you have some complex social problems to solve, and that your brain is actively engaged in seeking those solutions. And rather than attempting to stop depressive ruminations, therapists would be wise to encourage them in an attempt to find the answers to the problems causing the bouts of depression in the first place.

If you’ve suffered from depressive episodes, I’d like your thoughts on this concept. Does this ring true for you?

Link , via Scientific American

Depressed Teens Less Expressive

On one level, this article from Anxiety Insights makes perfect sense, but on another level, it’s back to chicken-or-the-egg conundrum for me. Are depressed teens less expressive, or do teens who tend to hide their emotions also tend to struggle with depression?

An Australian study conducted at Monash University looked at how a group of 44 teenagers aged from 12 to 16 with high levels of depressive symptoms dealt with regulating their emotions compared to 44 teens with no depressive symptoms. Not surprisingly, teens with depressive symptoms repressed their emotions significantly more than the other group. The non-depressive teens were able to “see the silver lining”, so to speak, in negative events and frame them in the more positive way.

The study also found depressed teens generally had less-caring, more over-protective parents than their peers, although it was unclear as to the cause-effect direction of this observation.

Teens have a tendency to be moody and disaffected, sort of the decorations on their official nonconformists uniform. Being able to sort out normal teen mood swings from depression can be pretty tricky.

Obviously, parents who are active and engaged with their teens might know them better than less-caring parents, and the fact that active parenting can pull from teens things they would probably like to keep to themselves signals (to me, at least) that the more you interact with your kids in their troubled teen years, the more you can stack the odds in favor of discovering atypical behaviors. This then allows you to engage support resources as needed.

Keep poking your noses in, parents. The alternative is pretty scary.

Depressed teens less expressive

Can Depression Make Me Fat?

It’s often been thought that depression and other disorders are contributors to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. That and the fact it’s difficult to eat just one Lay’s potato chip. And don’t get me started on french onion dip.

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center have determined that there’s actually a link between depression and increased belly fat, which can lead to various health problems. The study demonstrated a clear connection between depression and visceral fat, the type of fat usually associated with disease.

The study involved middle-aged women only, but it stands to reason to us unscientific types that the same could hold true for others. Doctors believe that depression may cause chemical changes in the body which triggers the accumulation of visceral fat, which in turn can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other ailments.

Depression linked to depositing of visceral fat