Investigating Social Etiology of Depression

As you know, the etiology of depression is a nuanced and complicated thing.  This post will require you to analyze the social and environmental etiological elements of the disorder.

Brown and Harris (1978) developed the vulnerability model after their research found that those with certain environmental “vulnerabilities” were more likely to suffer from depression.

Your job is to triangulate these findings with other research. 

Consider the following: 

• Sapolsky’s research on the effects of “stress” on baboons 

  • http://www.wired.com/2010/07/ff_stress_cure/

• Anthropological research by Dr. T.M. Luhrmann of Stanford: 

  • http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/25/opinion/a-great-depression.html

After reading the above pieces, answer the following questions: 

1. How does Sapolsky’s work support the anthropological findings of Dr. Luhrmann?
2. What environmental causes of mental illness does Dr. Luhrmann allude to?
3. How do both researchers findings support the vulnerability hypothesis?
4. Does Sapolsky’s work support a social etiology of depression or biological or both?

Add Sapolsky to your “study guide to studies” for abnormal under whichever level of analysis you see fit.