Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesWhen to See a ProviderDiagnosisSituational vs. Clinical DepressionTreatmentCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
When to See a Provider
Diagnosis
Situational vs. Clinical Depression
Treatment
Coping
Situational depression is a term that describesdepressionthat occurs in response to a specific event. A triggering event is generally a life-altering event, such as divorce, a death, a new illness, moving, trauma, loss of a job, financial problems, and many other possibilities.
Another name for situational depression isadjustment disorderwith depressed mood.It isn’t a formal diagnosis found in theDSM-5(the latest tool for diagnosing mental disorders, also called the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Fifth Edition”). Still, it is a well-recognized phenomenon in the mental health community.
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Symptoms of Situational Depression
Situational depression can impact the way a person feels and thinks about themselves and the outside world. It may also impact a person’s behavior and affect one’s actions. Symptoms of situational depression may include:
Situational depression starts within three months after a stressful event and lasts no longer than six months after the stress or its consequences have ended.
Causes of Situational Depression
The cause of situational depression is some type of drastic change or stressors that occurred in your life, examples may include:
Risks
There are some things that can influence how well a person responds to stressors. Some factors can increase the chance of developing situational depression. The factors include:
Types of Situational Depression
There are several subtypes of situational depression; these include adjustment disorder with:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Seeking treatment for situational depression allows people to start to take control of how they are feeling and work toward healing. If you have symptoms of depression, like hopelessness, frequent crying, loss of enjoyment in activities that used to bring you pleasure, insomnia, or appetite changes, seeing a primary care provider, mental health provider, or another professional is an excellent first step.
This is especially important if these symptoms are having a significant impact on aspects of your life, such as your ability to work or function at home. Treatment is possible, and you don’t have to live with the symptoms.
Diagnosing Situational Depression
According to the DSM-5 criteria pertaining to the diagnosis of adjustment reaction with depressed mood (situational depression), a person must be able to identify major life stressors, and the symptoms must impact one’s ability to function normally for a person to be diagnosed with situational depression. During a diagnostic examination, the mental health professional will:
The DSM-5 criteria say you must:
Situational depression usually doesn’t last for more than six months beyond the end of the stressful event.Depression that lasts longer may be clinical depression.
Clinical depression, on the other hand, may happen for no specific reason. Symptoms are similar to situational depression but often more severe and more likely to interfere with your ability to function at work or school. It also has a higher risk of suicide.
Situational depression can involve many of the same symptoms as clinical depression but doesn’t meet the criteria for major depressive disorder or represent normal grief.
It’s essential to understand the different types of depression so that you can seek proper treatment as soon as possible.
Treating Situational Depression
The primary treatment for situational depression is to provide relief from symptoms. This can be accomplished via several different treatment modalities, including medication and psychotherapy.
Medication
Some types of medication, such as antidepressants, can help to alleviate certain symptoms of depression. This may be important if these symptoms are interfering with the capacity to cope with or change problematic situations.
Psychotherapy
The primary mode of treatment for situational depression is psychotherapy. The exact nature of psychotherapy will differ depending on several factors (such as the subtype of adjustment disorder) and may include:
Coping With Situational Depression
There are many lifestyle changes that can help a personcope with situational depression, some of which may even help alleviate or lessen symptoms. These include:
Summary
Situational depression can arise from a number of stressful life events. It is different from clinical depression in its cause and length of symptoms. There are a number of healthcare providers that can help if you suspect you or a loved one is suffering from situational depression.
Treatment is also possible. Medications, psychotherapy, and self-care measures like getting adequate sleep, eating as well as you can, and getting some physical activity are excellent ways to care for yourself if you are experiencing depression of any variety.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Situational symptoms or serious depression: What’s the difference?O’Donnell ML, Agathos JA, Metcalf O, Gibson K, Lau W.Adjustment disorder: current developments and future directions.IJERPH. 2019;16(14):2537. doi:10.3390/ijerph16142537Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.Subtance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US).National Institute of Mental Health.Depression.Lai, R., Mackinnon, D. Johns Hopkins Medical Center.Adjustment disorder.National Center for Biotechnology Information. National Library of Medicine.DSM-IV to DSM-5 Adjustment Disorders Comparison.University of Maryland Medical System.Are you experiencing situational depression?Zelviene P, Kazlauskas E.Adjustment disorder: current perspectives.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2018;14:375-381. doi:10.2147/NDT.S121072
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Situational symptoms or serious depression: What’s the difference?O’Donnell ML, Agathos JA, Metcalf O, Gibson K, Lau W.Adjustment disorder: current developments and future directions.IJERPH. 2019;16(14):2537. doi:10.3390/ijerph16142537Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.Subtance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US).National Institute of Mental Health.Depression.Lai, R., Mackinnon, D. Johns Hopkins Medical Center.Adjustment disorder.National Center for Biotechnology Information. National Library of Medicine.DSM-IV to DSM-5 Adjustment Disorders Comparison.University of Maryland Medical System.Are you experiencing situational depression?Zelviene P, Kazlauskas E.Adjustment disorder: current perspectives.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2018;14:375-381. doi:10.2147/NDT.S121072
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Alliance on Mental Illness.Situational symptoms or serious depression: What’s the difference?O’Donnell ML, Agathos JA, Metcalf O, Gibson K, Lau W.Adjustment disorder: current developments and future directions.IJERPH. 2019;16(14):2537. doi:10.3390/ijerph16142537Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.Subtance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US).National Institute of Mental Health.Depression.Lai, R., Mackinnon, D. Johns Hopkins Medical Center.Adjustment disorder.National Center for Biotechnology Information. National Library of Medicine.DSM-IV to DSM-5 Adjustment Disorders Comparison.University of Maryland Medical System.Are you experiencing situational depression?Zelviene P, Kazlauskas E.Adjustment disorder: current perspectives.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2018;14:375-381. doi:10.2147/NDT.S121072
National Alliance on Mental Illness.Situational symptoms or serious depression: What’s the difference?
O’Donnell ML, Agathos JA, Metcalf O, Gibson K, Lau W.Adjustment disorder: current developments and future directions.IJERPH. 2019;16(14):2537. doi:10.3390/ijerph16142537
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.Subtance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US).
National Institute of Mental Health.Depression.
Lai, R., Mackinnon, D. Johns Hopkins Medical Center.Adjustment disorder.
National Center for Biotechnology Information. National Library of Medicine.DSM-IV to DSM-5 Adjustment Disorders Comparison.
University of Maryland Medical System.Are you experiencing situational depression?
Zelviene P, Kazlauskas E.Adjustment disorder: current perspectives.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2018;14:375-381. doi:10.2147/NDT.S121072
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