What causes depression in older persons?
Although there is no single, definitive answer to the question of cause, many factors—psychological, biological, environmental and genetic—likely contribute to the development of depression. Scientists think that some people inherit a biological make-up that makes them more prone to depression. Imbalances in certain brain chemicals like norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine are thought to be involved in major depression. While some people become depressed for no easily identified reason, depression tends to run in families and the vulnerability is often passed from parents to children. When such a genetic vulnerability exists, other factors like prolonged stress, loss or a major life change can trigger the depression. For some older people, particularly those with lifelong histories of depression, the development of a disabling illness, loss of a spouse or a friend, retirement, moving out of the family home or some other stressful event may bring about the onset of a depressive episod
