Depression and Resilience
The jury is out on whether resilience is a trait that can be cultivated with practice to combat clinical depression. But there is some research that points out it may help.
Why does stress trigger depression in certain people and resilience in others? Scientists have discovered a group of neurons in the front of the brain – in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) – that appear to be strongly linked to depression. Curiously, this area of the brain is also known as the “me-center” of the brain – that is, cells in the area are active when you’re thinking about yourself, worrying about the future, worrying about your life, and day-dreaming. Mindfulness training and other forms of meditation have been shown to significantly reduce activity in the mPFC, as well as reduce the strength of the connection between the mPFC and areas of the brain that govern stress and anxiety.
Why Stress Triggers Depression In Some People, Resilience In Others
This implies weathering adverse life events is a character trait to be cultivated. But neuroscientists are learning the story is not quite so simple, and that some people are likely better equipped from birth to deal with adversity. During the last fifteen years discoveries about why some brains excel at resisting stress have initiated a search for new drugs to treat depression and post-traumatic stress disorder by enhancing psychological resilience. One of these compounds has now entered early-stage clinical trials.
Scientific American – Can a Pill That Boosts “Resilience” Treat Depression?
In short, the jury is out on whether resilience is a characterological trait that can be cultivated with practice to combat clinical depression. One study concludes: “There have been growing efforts to investigate the neural basis of susceptibility versus resilience to depression. An accumulating body of evidence is revealing the genetic, epigenetic, and neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie stress susceptibility, as well as the active mechanisms that underlie the resilience phenotype. In this review, we discuss, mainly based on our own work, key pathological mechanisms of susceptibility that are identified as potential therapeutic targets for depression treatment. We also review novel mechanisms that promote natural resilience as an alternative strategy to achieve treatment efficacy. These studies are opening new avenues to develop conceptually novel therapeutic strategies for depression treatment. “
Neural Substrates of Depression and Resilience
Another study in the same line suggests a more nuanced approach recognizing that both neural and psychological and social factors are both at play:
“Neurobiological factors that are discussed and contrasted include serotonin, the 5-HT1A receptor, polymorphisms of the 5-HT transporter gene, norepinephrine, alpha-2 adrenergic receptors, neuropeptide Y, polymorphisms of the alpha-2 adrenergic gene, dopamine, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), cortisol, and CRH receptors. These factors are described in the context of brain regions believed to be involved in stress, depression, and resilience to stress. Psychosocial factors associated with depression and/or stress resilience include positive emotions and optimism, humor, cognitive flexibility, cognitive explanatory style and reappraisal, acceptance, religion/spirituality, altruism, social support, role models, coping style, exercise, capacity to recover from negative events, and stress inoculation. The review concludes with potential psychological, social, spiritual, and neurobiological approaches to enhancing stress resilience, decreasing the likelihood of developing stress-induced depression/anxiety, and treating stress-induced psychopathology.
The psychobiology of depression and resilience to stress: implications for prevention and treatment
And there is also an ongoing search for a magical pharmaceutical bullet:
Neuroscientists are learning the story is not quite so simple, and that some people are likely better equipped from birth to deal with adversity. During the last 15 years discoveries about why some brains excel at resisting stress have initiated a search for new drugs to treat depression and post-traumatic stress disorder by enhancing psychological resilience. One of these compounds has now entered early-stage clinical trials.
Resilience to depression within older populations is also a subject of keen scientific interest. One prominent study concludes:
“Resilience was significantly associated with a range of mental health constructs in a sample of older adults with depression. Future clinical trials and dismantling studies may help determine whether interventions targeting grit, active coping, accommodative coping, and spirituality can increase resilience and help prevent and treat depression in older adults.”
Clinical Studies and Other References
- Association of Resilience With Depression and Health-Related Quality of Life for Patients With Hidradenitis Suppurativa
- Neural Substrates of Depression and Resilience
- Clinical correlates of resilience factors in geriatric depression Resilience was significantly associated with a range of mental health constructs in a sample of older adults with depression. Future clinical trials and dismantling studies may help determine whether interventions targeting grit, active coping, accommodative coping, and spirituality can increase resilience and help prevent and treat depression in older adults.
- Six Domains of Resilience
- Depression and Resilience in Breast Cancer Patients