Depression: A chemical imbalance?

Pages: 131-133
Arushi Sachdeva (MSc. Foundations of Clinical Psychology and Mental Health, University of Sussex, Brighton, England)

In order to understand how depression occurs, it is important to gain an in-depth understanding of several concepts. One cannot attribute the cause of depression to just a mere chemical imbalance. It is important to recognize that depression is a multi-dimensional disorder. There are several standpoints that need to be adopted in order to have a better understanding of the mode of intervention that needs to be applied. In order to prescribe a possible therapy to any patient, we also need to understand the various theoretical approaches that can be used for treatment. In this article, the psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral approaches have been analyzed. After gaining insight into these approaches, it can be inferred that both approaches of therapy can be used in the course of treatment for depression. However, applying both the models together facilitates a holistic understanding of the problem and also aids in dealing with it from a multifaceted approach.