Журнал депрессии и тревоги
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Depression: The Importance of Etiology and the Involvement of Dopaminergic Reward System

Rowena Kong*

Depression is multi-faceted, and the level of its symptom severity is variable along different biological and psychosocial dimensions between individuals with such disorder. This paper discusses the importance of focus on the disorder etiology in practical clinical setting and context in the process of diagnosis and treatment. With increasing research exploring the role of dopamine in the pathology of the disorder, the probability of its target in future treatment is assessed. The need for more collaborative research methods which seek to integrate discrete concepts and models of depression to better understand mechanisms of causes is emphasized to build a more unified strategy against the disorder. Finally, an alternate perspective of mood dysregulation as an adaptive response to counter negative elements in life is proposed in association with the body’s natural tendency to maintain homeostasis.