Depression Causes & Solutions

Depression is a pervasive problem in our society. Depression is harmful personally (i.e. higher rates of illnesses and suicide), in our families and churches, and society in general.

Surveys done by the NIH show that one in five Americans are clinically depressed at any moment in time.”

What is it and what can be done about it?

There are many aspects to depression that contribute to its pervasiveness including:

• Medical Causes: There is a wide range of medical conditions and medications that contribute to depression. When you encounter a depressed person in your ministry, it’s always a great first step to have them get a physical to either treat or rule out medical causes.
• Spiritual: Unconfessed sin, spiritual burdens, and spiritual warfare can all contribute.
• Genetic: There are personality styles and genetic makeup that contribute to some people being depressed. This includes a family of origin genetics that can predispose people to a tendency toward depression.
• Emotional: Many emotional factors contribute to depression including grieving, abuse and trauma, feelings of despair, hopelessness, and powerlessness, and difficult periods of transition and pain.

What can you do to help?

• Get involved. Let the person know someone notices and cares. Be careful to keep healthy boundaries as you care but engage with them as the body of Christ.
• Direct them to the proper medical resources to treat or rule out medical causes.
• A physiological cause of depression is lowered serotonin levels. Encouraging the person to do the five basic self-care steps to increase serotonin levels naturally is always helpful.

• Challenge them to not just “accept” or “live with” depression, but to rather get help and do something about it.

What might the help look like?

• This may include seeking counseling
• Being evaluated for medication
• Focused prayer on the causes
• Receiving support from others during seasons of grief, transition, and other life experiences
• Always remember that depressed people are a potential suicide risk, so take their comments seriously and take appropriate action when necessary.

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