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Related Concept Videos

Depressive Disorders: Etiology01:27

Depressive Disorders: Etiology

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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.
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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...
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Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Animal Models of Depression - Chronic Despair Model CDM
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Animal Models of Depression - Chronic Despair Model CDM

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Darwinian depression.

Donald Wittman1

  • 1University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.

Journal of Affective Disorders
|July 22, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Depression is not adaptive, but the threat of it motivates effort. This new evolutionary theory explains mood disorders and motivation failures, offering a different research direction.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • The prevailing evolutionary view posits that a depressed state is adaptive.
  • This perspective is challenged by evidence suggesting the opposite.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present an alternative evolutionary explanation for depression and elation.
  • To elucidate the motivational role of mood states in fitness.
  • To explain the etiology of mood disorders stemming from motivational system failures.

Main Methods:

  • Critical review of existing literature on evolutionary explanations for depression.
  • Development of a novel evolutionary framework for mood regulation and motivation.
  • Analysis of factors contributing to motivational deficits and subsequent mood disorders.
Keywords:
AnxietyBipolar disorderDepressionElationEvolutionLaziness

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Main Results:

  • Depression itself is not adaptive; rather, the anticipation of negative outcomes (threat of depression) and positive outcomes (promise of pleasure) are adaptive motivators.
  • Motivation is contingent upon both elation and depression.
  • Explains phenomena such as the hedonic treadmill, comorbidity of bipolar and panic disorders, and the effects of mood stabilizers and antidepressants on motivation.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed theory offers a coherent evolutionary explanation for depression and elation.
  • This framework directs future research toward novel avenues distinct from prior evolutionary models.
  • Current evolutionary explanations do not directly yield clinical diagnostic criteria or novel therapeutic strategies for mood disorders.