Depression due to confinement: factors that facilitate its appearance

Mood disorders are a very common form of discomfort, and of these, depression is one of its most frequent types. This is due, among other things, to the fact that there is a wide variety of experiences that make us more and more vulnerable to this psychopathology.

The set of situations that increase our chances of developing depression acts as a kind of psychological funnel: many different experiences, added to certain personal predispositions, can lead to results Similar.

However, through years of research on this subject, the science of Psychology has brought evidence that there are situations with greater risk than others when it comes to promoting the appearance of depression. And unfortunately, it seems that the experience of confinement due to a pandemic, like that of the coronavirus, is associated with several of them. Here I will talk about this phenomenon, lockdown depression.

• Related article: "Major Depression: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment"

Can confinement cause depression?

The first thing to be clear about this topic is that

There is still no large, very conclusive research on the impact of confinement by COVID-19 on mental health of the Spanish or of the general population; All this is still relatively recent and is at the same time a complex phenomenon, the study of which requires many combined efforts. However, that does not mean that we know absolutely nothing about what it usually means for the human mind to undergo experiences of this type for weeks or months; There are similar precedents, such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic of 2002-2004, among others.

On the other hand, although we know that the radical measures to avoid contagion applied to territorial areas broad tend to wear down the mental health of many people, that does not mean that confinement produces depression. Technically, the correct thing to do is to consider that confinement usually goes hand in hand with associated factors, which are what increase the chances of suffering from this psychological disorder.

And as always in these cases, it is necessary to emphasize the word "probabilities": In psychology we almost always adopt a probabilistic approach when analyzing the implications that a social phenomenon has on the mental health of the population.. No one is guaranteed to suffer or not suffer from depression due to the fact that this psychopathology is statistically associated with what they are going through.

Finally, the term "depression due to confinement" does not mean that there is a psychological disorder that has this name officially: the way in which this mood disturbance is known is major depressive disorder, according to the diagnostic manuals most used in psychiatry and clinical psychology. Thus, the depression due to confinement is simply the depression whose causes include the importance of factors linked to confinement and everything that surrounds it: a certain social isolation, less movement, etc

Depression due to confinement: factors that promote this disorder

These are the most important aspects that characterize depression due to confinement

1. Reduced social interaction

Social interactions are experiences that, in many cases, are mentally stimulating and are capable of providing us with incentives. With confinement, exposure to this class of stimuli, sources of small daily motivations, is reduced, and knows that a lifestyle devoid of too many exciting or fun experiences is associated with the appearance of depression.

2. sedentary lifestyle

A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of developing depression. It is believed that this has to do with the fact that the state of health worsens (through lack of movement and proper nutrition), and depression is "fed" by inflammatory processes in the body that can affect the nervous system.

3. Too much exposure to anxiety

In a context of confinement due to a pandemic, it is much easier to suffer from anxiety problems: many people feel powerless for not to be able to go out when you want, for not being able to see loved ones in a normal way, for what could happen with your work or your projects etc Related to this, sIt is known that suffering from anxiety is also associated with a higher probability of presenting depressive symptoms, or even to develop other psychopathologies such as addictions (which, in turn, also contribute to the emergence of major depressive disorder).

4. Lack of sleep

Such a radical change in habits as the transition to remain in a situation of confinement, frequently, causes imbalances in sleep schedule. This disorganization often leads to problems sleeping well, or the necessary hours. And yes: little sleep also goes hand in hand with an increased risk of depression.

Are you interested in having professional psychological assistance?

If you are going through a situation of confinement that is going uphill and you notice that it is significantly damaging your emotional well-being, Get in touch with me. I am a psychologist specialized in the cognitive-behavioral model, one of the most effective and adaptable, and I have been working for years helping people to better manage the cognitive and emotional processes that arise from the problems posed by the life.

I attend my office in Madrid, and I also provide psychological assistance in an online format. In this page you will find my contact details.

Bibliographic references:

• American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Washington, DC: Author.
• Delgado, P (2000). Depression: the case for a monoamine deficiency. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 61:pp. 7 - 11.
• Hagen, E. h. (2002). Depression as bargaining: The postpartum case. Evolution and Human Behavior. Elsevier.
• Huang, Y.; Li, L.; Gan, Y.; Wang, C.; Jiang, H.; Chaos.; Light. (2020). Sedentary behaviors and risk of depression: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Translational Psychiatry, 10: 26.
• Leyva-Jiménez, R., Hernández-Juárez, A.M., López-Gaona, G. (2007). Depression in adolescents and family functioning. Medical Journal of the Mexican Social Security Institute.
• National Collaborating Center for Mental Health. depression. (2009). The treatment and management of depression in adults (updated edition). National Clinical Practice Guideline Number 90. London: British Psychological Society and Royal College of Psychiatrists.