Daily Health Care

Depression should not be regarded as a disorder but as a process of adaptation, according to an analysis published in the journal Psychological Review. This perspective calls into question current approaches to treating depression in psychotherapy.

An argument for this view comes from research on the serotonin receptor 5HT1A, say the authors, Paul W. Andrews and J. Anderson Thomson Jr. of the University of Virginia. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter heavily involved in depression and is the target of most antidepressants.

The rodents that have a low level of 5HT1A fewer symptoms of depression in response to stress, suggesting that this receptor is involved in the development of depression. (Pharmaceutical companies are currently developing a next generation of antidepressants that target this receptor).

People with depression often think hard about their problems. These thoughts are called ruminations, are persistent and depressed people have trouble thinking of something else. Several studies have shown that this style of thinking is often very analytical, dividing a complex problem into smaller components which are considered one at a time.

The problem analysis, the authors argue, requires a lot of thought and continuous depression coordinates several changes in the body to help the person to analyze their problems without being distracted. Studies of depression in rodents show that the 5HT1A receptor provides nerve cells in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, the fuel required for their activation.

The meaning of several other symptoms of depression can be interpreted in light of the idea that the analysis of problems must be uninterrupted. The desire for social isolation, for example, helps one to avoid situations that require thinking about other things. Similarly, the inability to derive pleasure from sex or other activities prevented from engaging in activities that might distract from the problem. Although loss of appetite, often this can be seen as favoring the analysis because of mastication and food-related activities interfere with the brain’s ability to process information.

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