Human beings are social animals and require social connection as a basic survival need. Isolation and lack of social support make it easy for depression to flourish.
Poverty and depression are strongly correlated, and being affected by stressful social events like unemployment or social upheaval raises the risk of depression significantly. But not all poverty-stricken people are depressed and wealth is certainly no protection against depression. The social factors contributing to the depression habit spiral are more complex than this.
In research with animals, after prolonged failure to control stressful circumstances a creature develops 'learned helplessness' and gives up, demonstrating behaviour comparable to human depression*. It seems that part of the depressive effect of social circumstances may relate to how little control we have (or think we have) over the stresses in our lives.
Another strong recent theory* is that depression is a social phenomenon resulting from social comparison. Again based on animal research, this theory suggests depression more easily affects those who see themselves as inferior to others in their social context.
Social norms and values therefore have an important effect on individual identities and beliefs. If these norms and values are attainable by the majority, and tolerant enough to allow for individual difference, then negative social comparison will be reduced. The less attainable the norms, the more likely it is that a higher proportion of people will feel 'not good enough', making them vulnerable to depression.
All these social factors fuel the depression habit spiral. While some of these conditions are unchangeable, many can be moderated. For example, while we may not be able to change our actual social circumstances we may be able to re-examine our attitude towards our situation. We can change our perception of our level of control and of our social status. Most importantly, we can build better support networks and avoid actual or emotional isolation.
This is because we do not have to passively accept the dominant norms of our society or specific social group. We can critically examine the values of our society and can choose to reject those values which are damaging or unhelpful for us. See the depression in context section for more details.
What are your social circumstances? Have you been affected by prejudice or discrimination because of unhelpful cultural values (such as racism or homophobia)? Do you need to build support networks? How much does your social context contribute to your feelings of being 'not good enough' and other depressed thinking habits? Can you find ways to feel more in control of your life? The links below might help you to answer these questions.
