An interactionistic integrating view of depressive disorders and their treatment

The development of a depressive disorder is often considered from the perspective of biological causation, mental processes, or with a focus on possible social determinants, even though the possible concomitance of factors belonging to the different domains is generally acknowledged. In this article, a further development of an interactional model previously described is presented. The model is focused on the concept of individual vulnerability, which is assumed to result from a continuous interplay of the individuals with their environment, and from the effect of factors belonging to different domains that interact. A closer definition of individual vulnerability suggests that it consists of the interaction of biological characteristics of the person and a basically dysfunctional self-schema. Empirical studies in support of some of the hypotheses which can be derived from the model are briefly reviewed, and the implications of the model for the treatment of depression is underscored.