Biological Theories about the Causes of Depression

Abstract

The last chapter dealt with some of the many problems regarding the origins of depression and demonstrated that myths about the illness abound and that there is a lack of consensus as to how the illness is defined. It should also be apparent that many scientists and health care professionals conceptualize depression as either biological or emotional and these conceptions then provide the framework for explaining the causes of depression. The myth that depression is either a psychological illness or a biological one then forms the basis to explain the origins of the illness. Since definitions provide the foundation for an inquiry, it is logical that the problems of definitions influence the ways in which people investigate the causes.