Lesson Two - The Difference between Sadness and Depression
| Site: | MoodleHUB.ca š |
| Course: | Mental Health & Wellness [1 cr] - AB Ed copy 1 |
| Book: | Lesson Two - The Difference between Sadness and Depression |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Sunday, 7 September 2025, 6:46 PM |
Information
- This lesson is designed to take approximately 2 hours.
- You have the following tasks and assignments to complete in this lesson:
- Read all Lesson 2 content, including videos, supplementary links, etc.
- Lesson 2 Journal
Lesson Outcomes
- Differentiate between sadness and depression
Sadness and Depression
Sadness and depression can sometimes seem very similar and often when someone is sad, it is said that they are ādepressedā. The words are being used interchangeably, but there is a difference between them. Everyone will feel sadness at some point;
there is no escape from being sad. However, depression is a mental illness that has been diagnosed by a professional and not everyone will experience depression.
To give an example, if sadness and depression were types of weather, sadness would be represented by a light rainfall while depression would be a hurricane. In addition, sadness is a response to a particular event occuring in your life, while depression has an effect on every aspect of life, happy and sad events included.
The following provides the primary symptoms of depression, which are represented in a circle because many of these symptoms keep recurring:
To give an example, if sadness and depression were types of weather, sadness would be represented by a light rainfall while depression would be a hurricane. In addition, sadness is a response to a particular event occuring in your life, while depression has an effect on every aspect of life, happy and sad events included.
The following provides the primary symptoms of depression, which are represented in a circle because many of these symptoms keep recurring:
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Click to enlarge.
Adapted from Guilford Press.
Adapted from Guilford Press.
What Causes Depression?
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Depression, like most mental illnesses, is not caused by just one or two factors. There can be multiple factors that influence the development of depression, but, for this course, we will only focus on the main aspects. These factors are by no means comprehensive,
nor is it guaranteed that just because someone exhibits one or more of these factors that they automatically have depression.
Factors that cause depression can have both a biological and a circumstantial basis. It is important to remember that depression is usually the result of long-term events and personal factors rather than immediate, short-term life events. Long-term can range anywhere from a couple of weeks to years. Remember though, that depression, along with all mental illness, does not have an exact formula.
Factors that cause depression can have both a biological and a circumstantial basis. It is important to remember that depression is usually the result of long-term events and personal factors rather than immediate, short-term life events. Long-term can range anywhere from a couple of weeks to years. Remember though, that depression, along with all mental illness, does not have an exact formula.
This course will separate the causes of depression into biological and circumstantial for ease of explanation, but these are never separated in life; there is always cross-over between the groups.
Biological Causes of Depression
There are three main biological causes of depression. Remember that this list is not exhaustive or guaranteed to be one of the causes for everyone with depression.
The frontal lobe of your brain is the part of your brain that is right behind your forehead. There is evidence that a less active frontal lobe will put a person at a higher risk of depression. However, it is not known if depression causes
lower activity in the frontal lobe or if low activity causes depression.
It has also been shown that the hippocampus (a part of the brain that is in charge of long-term memory and recollecting memories, among other things) was, on average, smaller when someone had depression, and got subsequently smaller with each session of depression.
It has also been suggested by researchers that people with depression do not develop new neurons (a special type of cell in the brain that ātalksā to other parts of the brain using electrical impulses) as quickly as those people who do not have depression.
The amygdala is the āemotionā part of the brain, and has been shown to have increased activity in those that are depressed or even sad. Interestingly, the increased activity lasts even after the sadness or depression has passed, making the person more sensitive to emotions.
It has also been shown that the hippocampus (a part of the brain that is in charge of long-term memory and recollecting memories, among other things) was, on average, smaller when someone had depression, and got subsequently smaller with each session of depression.
It has also been suggested by researchers that people with depression do not develop new neurons (a special type of cell in the brain that ātalksā to other parts of the brain using electrical impulses) as quickly as those people who do not have depression.
The amygdala is the āemotionā part of the brain, and has been shown to have increased activity in those that are depressed or even sad. Interestingly, the increased activity lasts even after the sadness or depression has passed, making the person more sensitive to emotions.
A common misconception is that depression is caused simply by a chemical imbalance in the brain. While there might be some imbalances, this statement oversimplifies depression and downplays the effectiveness of psychotherapy. Depression
is associated with lower levels of certain chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the brain, mainly serotonin and noradrenaline. This has only been shown to be an association and not a cause.
Sometimes medical conditions can put a person at a higher risk of developing depression. Most of the time, these medical conditions are chronic or long-lasting. The stress of coping with a serious illness can contribute to depression. Some examples of
chronic medical conditions that may lead to depression are insomnia, chronic illness or pain, and even attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Here is a list of other major medical issues that have also been linked to depression:
| hypothyroidism | heart disease | degenerative neurological conditions (such as MS, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, and Huntington's Disease) | strokes |
some nutritional diseases (such as lack of B12) |
| endocrine disorders | immune system diseases (such as lupus) | virus and other infections (such as HIV or hepatitis) | cancer | erectile dysfunction in men |
Personality factors can also play a role in the development of depression. The following is a short list of personality factors that can be possible sources of depression.
People who:
- tend to worry quite a bit
- have a low self-esteem
- are perfectionists
- are quite sensitive to criticism
- are critical of themselves have an overall pessimistic outlook
Circumstantial Causes of Depression
There are also events that occur in life that may contribute to the development of depression. As with the biological causes, this list is not exhaustive or one of the causes for everyone with depression.
Depression is in a category of mental illnesses called āmood disordersā. If a person has a family member who has depression or another mood disorder, they are at an increased risk of developing depression. While there may be a genetic
component to mood disorders, having a family member diagnosed with a mood disorder does not automatically mean someone else will develop depression. It also does not mean that if that person does develop depression that their experience
will be exactly the same. Mental illness is unique to the person who is living with it, so even if two family members have the same diagnosis, their experience could be very different.
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There are entire books and courses that focus solely on trauma and the effects of it on a person; however, we do not have the space or time in this course to fully explain all that trauma entails. Trauma has been shown to change the structure of the brain.
This change in structure is actually the brain developing new pathways called neural pathways.
It is believed by many researchers that early childhood trauma can cause small, subtle changes in how the brain functions, and these changes may be responsible for the symptoms of depression and sadness.
These neural pathways are how the brain ātalksā to itself and the rest of the body; everything from ā1 + 1 = 2ā to āI donāt feel safe hereā to āI just stubbed my toe and now it hurtsā. Every time you learn something new, a new neural pathway
is formed. Trauma can cause neural pathways to develop that affect how someone reacts to certain situations and fear. If the trauma occurs early in the personās life, these pathways can easily become habits and a part of dealing with situations.
Habits can be both a positive and negative influence on your life, and sometimes the neural pathways that are built with a traumatic situation can lead to negative habits. How a person reacts to situations can greatly affect their life,
which in turn, can also affect their mental health.
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It is believed by many researchers that early childhood trauma can cause small, subtle changes in how the brain functions, and these changes may be responsible for the symptoms of depression and sadness.
Drug and alcohol use can both be the cause of and result of depression. However, having a history of drug or alcohol misuse can increase a personās risk of developing depression. According to Healthline.com, approximately 21% of people that have some
sort of substance abuse issue have also experienced depression.
Depressive Disorder with Seasonal Pattern, formerly known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a type of depression that is related to the amount of daylight a person is exposed to. The rates of depressive disorder with seasonal patterns
typically increase in the fall and winter months because of the limited daylight hours. The symptoms are generally quite similar to depression, with the person losing interest in everyday activities, significant weight gain/loss, issues
sleeping, lack of concentration and energy, and feelings of worthlessness.
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