Godly Resources for Dealing with Depression (Week 3)
Last week, I shared two major factors which doctors and psychiatrists who treat individuals with depression look at: biological factors and environmental factors. This week, I wanted to continue with the other two major factors: social factors and lifestyle factors and helpful ideas to shore up these factors as strengths.
Social Factors
In addition to biological and environmental factors, social factors such as a person’s personality, experiences of stress and conflict, and influences of a person’s social support system – today one would add even social media – can also influence depression risk.
When you consider personality, there are some personality traits which have been associated with a greater tendency to experience depressed mood. These include low self-esteem, pessimism, and being self-critical or having perfectionist tendencies have been associated with a greater tendency toward depression. Researchers have also looked at the flipped side of personality, especially a personality trait that may make someone less likely to experience depression called resilience. This trait displayed by some people being able to “bounce back” from adverse experiences, may also be key to preventing and treating depression. While some have shown a natural resilience to stressful events, the majority of studies show that if a person experiences multiple stressful events can erode a person’s ability to “bounce back.”
Major life events—including traditionally positive events like getting married or negative events like losing a job—can all create stress. When we are stressed, our cortisol levels rise. One theory is that high levels of cortisol (especially when they are chronically elevated) could negatively affect serotonin levels. Work-related stress, in particular, can be a driver of depression. Losing a job is an obvious stressor, but the work environment can also contribute to stress—especially if it doesn’t feel supportive. According to APA-sponsored polls from 2017, 2018, and 2019, only half of U.S. workers report feeling that they can discuss mental health openly at work. Conflict at work or school can also make it more likely a person will become depressed. A 2009 study in Sweden showed that having serious conflicts with coworkers or bosses, and/or feeling excluded or left out at work, contributed to depression in employees.
It’s not just adults who experience conflict away from home: Kids and teens can encounter interpersonal challenges at school that have the potential to affect their short and long term mental and physical health. A 2017 report from the National Center for Education Statistics found that 20% of students between the ages of 12–18 said they had been bullied at school in the previous year. According to the CDC, kids who are bullied are more likely to experience mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. They’re also more likely to have physical ailments, particularly headaches and stomachaches. Going through conflicts with friends and/or family may also increase the chances that a person who is prone to depression will develop the condition.
Added to all that stress in this world, we can experience major losses and grieve. Grieving is a process that can look and feel like depression, except that it usually follows a particular timeframe beginning with an event (such as the death of a loved one) and gradually moving toward resolution or a stage of acceptance. Researchers are learning, though, that bereavement can take on the qualities of a condition similar to clinical depression, particularly in terms of how long it persists (years as opposed to months). Complicated grief, as it is often termed, appears to be more likely when someone loses a loved one in a sudden, unexpected, and especially violent way (such as a car accident, kidnapping, terrorist attack, etc). Additional studies are needed to formally define complicated grief as a distinct condition, but it appears to have a relationship to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
While the research is still fairly new and ongoing, many studies have investigated the effect of social media on mental health, especially in young people. Several studies have indicated that social media use can trigger depressive symptoms and anxiety through insecurity, comparison, fear of missing out, and bullying/harassment (which, whether experienced in-person or online, raises a child’s lifetime risk for depression). The overuse of social media may also contribute to depression by reducing a person’s level of physical activity and real-life interaction. A sedentary lifestyle and being socially isolated are two factors that can contribute to poor mental health independent of social media habits. The research hasn’t been all bad, though. Technology, the internet, and social media may also prove useful for helping to detect and manage depression.
In view of the many factors affecting us on the social front, the best research includes taking time to be with a healthy, supportive support system. For example, spending time with your best friends at least one hour per week and connecting with your family or other friends. Reach out to those in your faith community by going to church, participating in a Bible study group, or helping out in one of the ministries.
Lifestyle Factors
Last of the factors, but not least, is lifestyle. These factors can include the medications you take, to your diet, to your exercise habits; all these can have an effect on your risk of experiencing depression. Certain medications are known to have the potential to increase a person’s risk of depression, including: Accutane, beta-blockers, corticosteroids. interferon-alpha, and statins. Medications used to treat mental illness and sleep disorders can also worsen or cause depression in some people. People under the age of 25 are at some increased risk for increased suicidality after starting certain antidepressants.
It’s not uncommon for people with mental illness to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. However, it’s also important to note that not unlike certain prescription medications, illicit drugs can also make a person feel depressed. According to data from the National Alliance on Mental Health’s Drug and Health Survey, 7.9 million people in the U.S. were living with both depression and a substance use disorder in 2014. When substance use and depression occur at the same time (sometimes called “dual diagnosis”) it can be difficult to find the right treatment.36 People often require a diverse team of doctors and mental health professionals with experience in substance use disorders for support. If a person needs to withdraw from a substance, it’s sometimes safest for them to do so under medical care. Treatment at a mental health facility can also help a person address both substance use disorders and symptoms of depression that may accompany them.
Recent studies have indicated that adults with mild depression may be able to prevent an episode of major depression through a combination of lifestyle changes. Gut microbes and diet may also play a role in the development of depression. Some research has also shown that certain diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, might help older adults avoid depression. On the other hand, diets that are high in sugar and trans-fat, especially heavily processed food, can promote or worsen depression, especially when paired with a sedentary lifestyle. A possible reason for the link is that diets high in these foods can lead to weight gain. In fact, a 2018 study found that people were more likely to become depressed if they were overweight—even if the extra weight wasn’t causing other health problems such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes.
The benefits of exercise for our health are well known, but we are learning more about how exercising can help people with depression manage their symptoms. Several recent studies confirmed previous research indicating that regular exercise and a healthy diet doesn’t just help people manage depression, but can help prevent it. Dr. Mike Evans has put together a wonderful video which condenses decades of research in a 9-minute video on Youtube titled “23 ½ hours.” In the video Dr. Evans shares that if a person can get the heart rate up for 150 minutes per week (30 minutes a day), there are all sorts of benefits to one’s health, including benefits to one’s mental health.
From Biblical perspective, we trust in God, but we also recognize that in a broken world, things do not work the way God intended all the time. During the times when mental health issues become an apparent part of that brokenness, we listen to doctors and mental health care providers, pastors and our families and friends and lean into them for support. Next week, I will focus more on the Bible’s guidance in living in this world and dealing with mental health issues like depression.
See you next week right here at the intersection of faith and mental health.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Chad Wright