Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Depression: Overview

Depression: Overview

Depression is a prevalent mental illness marked by persistent sadness and lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities. It can take several forms, including major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and bipolar I and II disorders. Symptoms range from emotional changes like chronic worry to physical changes like sleep disturbances and suicidal thoughts. From a neurobiological perspective, depression is believed to be triggered by abnormalities in the brain's prefrontal cortex,...

Depressive Disorders: Etiology

Depressive Disorders: Etiology

Depressive disorders result from a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors, each contributing uniquely to the development and persistence of the condition. Understanding these factors provides critical insight into the multifaceted nature of depression.
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...

Stress and Mental Health

Stress and Mental Health

Chronic stress profoundly affects mental health, significantly influencing mood, behavior, and overall quality of life. Research closely links chronic stress with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Ongoing exposure to stress can lead to physiological and psychological changes, initiating a cycle of emotional distress and maladaptive coping mechanisms.
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...

Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia

Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia

Depressive disorders are a group of mental health conditions characterized by pervasive feelings of sadness, diminished pleasure in life, and a significant impact on daily functioning. These conditions are most prevalent in individuals during their 30s and affect women at twice the rate of men. Contrary to popular belief, younger individuals are generally more susceptible to these disorders than older adults. Two key types of depressive disorders include Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and...

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...

Antidepressant Drugs: Overview

Antidepressant Drugs: Overview

Antidepressant drugs are a class of medications primarily used for treating various mood disorders, including major depression, anxiety disorders, and other related conditions. These medicines work by modulating the neurotransmitter balance within the brain, alleviating depressive symptoms. Antidepressants can be broadly categorized into several groups according to their mechanism of action and chemical structure: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Serotonin-Norepinephrine...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Emotion awareness and perceptions of parental response to emotion in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: development and preliminary testing of the Qualitative Emotion Interview.

Advances in neurodevelopmental disorders·2025

Same author

Preventing exclusionary discipline and adverse life experiences in FASD: Teachers' ability to recognize students with FASD in the classroom and develop and implement preventative strategies to support learning and behavior.

Alcohol, clinical & experimental research·2025

Same author

Prediction of maximum oxygen uptake over time in adults: analysis from the FRIEND registry.

Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologicas·2025

Same author

Editorial: The relationship of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness with acute COVID-19 infection and post COVID-19 conditions.

Frontiers in sports and active living·2024

Same author

Response to Doctors for Life.

South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde·2024

Same author

Decriminalising and legalising medical assistance in dying.

South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 3, 2026

An Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Instigating Depressive Symptoms, Behavioral Changes and Negative Health Outcomes in Rodents

An Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Instigating Depressive Symptoms, Behavioral Changes and Negative Health Outcomes in Rodents

Published on: December 2, 2015

Do reasons for major depression act as causes?

K S Kendler¹, J Myers, L J Halberstadt

¹Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Institute of Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA. kendler@vcu.edu

Molecular Psychiatry

|March 9, 2011

Summary

Reasons for major depression (MD) do not act as causes. Understanding depressive episodes doesn't correlate with scientifically validated risk factors, challenging common sense beliefs about MD etiology.

More Related Videos

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

Published on: February 22, 2018

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Published on: June 6, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 3, 2026

An Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Instigating Depressive Symptoms, Behavioral Changes and Negative Health Outcomes in Rodents

An Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Instigating Depressive Symptoms, Behavioral Changes and Negative Health Outcomes in Rodents

Published on: December 2, 2015

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

Published on: February 22, 2018

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Published on: June 6, 2025

Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Psychology
Behavioral Science

Background:

Human behavior is understood through subjective reasons and objective causes.
The common sense hypothesis posits that reasons for major depression (MD) function as causes.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the hypothesis that understandable depressive episodes correlate with fewer objective causes.
To investigate the relationship between the understandability of MD episodes and validated risk factors.

Main Methods:

Assessed understandability of past-year MD episodes in 630 twins using DSM IV criteria and contextual information.
Utilized linear and logistic regression to predict 12 validated MD risk factors from understandability ratings.

Main Results:

No significant association found between understandability and 11 of the 12 validated risk factors for MD.
A higher cotwin risk for MD was associated with greater understandability, contradicting the hypothesis.

Conclusions:

The study does not support the hypothesis that reasons for MD act as causes.
Understanding does not equate to scientific explanation; reasons may be unreliable indicators of objective illness risk factors.