Our biological explanation of depression is: MDD is caused by a neuro-chemical imbalance. We are going to explore a series of hypotheses called the MONOAMINE HYPOTHESES that suggest the a deficiency of noradrenaline, serotonin and/or dopamine may be responsible for the symptoms of depression. What causes these deficiencies however is a bone of contention! Don’t worry we have lots of possibilities!

Genetics and Depression

Before we start, let’s have a quick look at some familial, twin and adoption studies so I can start to convince you that maybe depression has some biological underpinning! This could also be helpful for your nature/nurture debates questions for paper 3!

• Bio exps studies: What do these familial, twin and adoption studies lead us to conclude about the origins of depression?
• moodge-1-pdf: If you want more on the genetics of depression

Now let’s take a look at a real life example: Farmer John

• casest-1-pdf: Brilliant worksheet by Aidan Sammons about Farmer John, to set the wheels in motion as we start to think about the biological factors that affect depression.
• biomod-1-pdf-1: A worksheet by Aidan to accompany the discussion leading from the Farmer John case study.

Neurochemistry and Depression