Cause Vitamin deficiency

The question whether a vitamin deficiency can be the cause of depression is the subject of numerous studies. Especially as far as vitamin D is concerned, there is evidence that a lack of this vitamin can lead to depressive symptoms. Above-average numbers of patients who suffered from depression also showed a vitamin D deficiency in trials.

For some of them, the substitution of vitamin D had some therapeutic success. However, there is not yet sufficient evidence on this topic. A vitamin B12 deficiency is also suspected to be a trigger for some types of depression. Here too, however, the available data is by no means sufficient.

Loss as a cause of depression

In the past, the term reactive depression was used in medicine. This meant that a depression developed as a result of a stressful event. Today, the term reactive depression is outdated and is referred to as an adjustment disorder.

Such an adjustment disorder is accompanied by depressive symptoms and occurs after subjectively stressful life events. These include, for example, the loss of a loved one through death or divorce, serious illness of a close person or the person affected himself or herself, or the departure of children who have grown up. Not all people react to such an event with an adaptation disorder, but it is not rare.

Stress as a cause

Stress as a cause can also trigger a depressive reaction in the sense of an adaptation disorder. For example, psychological and physical stress caused by caring for a close relative or the serious illness of a child. It comes to overstrain experiences, fears and depression.

Especially stress in the sense of psychological and physical stress at work, however, often leads to the so-called burnout syndrome. Those affected work for months and years well over the line, never rest, always want to achieve maximum performance, are very ambitious, want confirmation from superiors and colleagues and at some point collapse completely under this pressure. By definition, burnout does not count as depression, but is accompanied by symptoms that can resemble those of depression.

Overstraining as a cause

As already mentioned in the previous section, the typical clinical picture that results from permanent excessive demands and excessive self-claim in everyday working life is the burnout syndrome. It is not part of the clinical picture of depression and has not yet been classified as an independent disease. However, it is accompanied by depression-like symptoms and often lasts for months. Often affected are people who are particularly ambitious and determined and who want to achieve a lot and who overlook the fact that they have reached a point where they have clearly exceeded the limits of their resilience, both mental and physical. Often people in leading or executive positions are affected.