Depression

Besides depression as a primary mood disorder, what other conditions can cause symptoms of depression?

While primary depression is most common—the depression is the illness—depressed mood also may derive from a number of other causes. The symptoms may absolutely qualify as those of mild-to-moderate or even major depression, but if there is an identifiable underlying cause for the depression, treatment may focus on this cause.

• Depression is a common and expected dimension of grief and bereavement. Losing a loved one, or even the threat of such a loss, receiving a grave medical prognosis, or experiencing extremely distressing life events may trigger depression.
• Certain medical conditions directly cause symptoms of depression. Usually depression resolves with successful treatment of the underlying condition. Examples of medical conditions that may cause depression are stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and brain tumor. General (i.e., other than psychiatric) medical conditions also may co-occur along with depression; examples include coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Treatment of the medical condition, the depression, or both may help resolve the depressive symptoms.
• Certain non-mood psychiatric disorders may co-occur with depression. Such conditions as anxiety, eating disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder may be diagnosed at the same time that the person has depression. The treating physician will need to take both disorders into account when deciding the best treatment options.
• Substance abuse commonly occurs together with depression. Successful treatment of substance abuse disorder may give additional help in terms of improvement in depressive symptoms. While substance abuse and depression are independent, their occurrence and, therefore, their treatment, interrelate.
• Certain medications prescribed for medical conditions may provoke depressive symptoms. When placed on medications, identify feelings of depression and inform your physician. Depressed mood may be medication-induced.
• Childbirth may be associated with depression in some women. Postpartum depression may occur several months following delivery and can be treated effectively.

To learn more about the conditions that may cause symptoms of depression, go to depression risk factors.