Definition of Reactive Depression

Reactive depression is an adjustment disorder that is also called situational depression. It is a transient depression that is triggered by some external event or trauma. Generally, the diagnosis of this disorder is based on the presentation of symptoms that don't easily fit into other categories of depression. The symptoms of reactive depression normally dissipate within a six-month period after removal of the stressful stimuli.

Identification

• With reactive depression, the individual is reacting to something like the death of a loved one. If a person has the symptoms of major depression, even if his depression appears to be the result of a traumatic personal event, he will generally be diagnosed with major depression and not reactive depression. In a sense, well-defined depression trumps the less well-defined adjustment disorders.

Causes

• Reactive depression is caused by a sudden change in the environment or circumstances of a person, or sometimes, the chronic presence of a stressor. Examples of causes of reactive depression include loss of a loved one, the sudden suicide of a friend, a break-up in a close relationship, financial hardship such as the sudden loss of a job or a reversal in the value of a large investment. It can also be caused by an underlying medical problem such as an injury or disease. A stressor can also be chronic; for example, dealing with a difficult coworker may cause sufficient stress over a period of time to cause reactive depression. The feature of these causes that associates them with reactive depression is that the stressor can often be removed and the reactive depressive symptoms will ease.

Symptoms

• The experts at Psychology Information suggest the symptoms of reactive depression may include some or all of the following: persistent headaches; stomach aches or pain that doesn't respond to treatment; difficulty in taking pleasure in normal activities; sadness; memory problems; thoughts of death; difficulties making decisions; excessive crying; changes in sleep patterns; changes in weight; persistent feelings of anxiety or emptiness; feeling guilty, pessimistic, hopeless or helpless; loss of energy; loss of interest in sex; increasing use of alcohol or drugs; heart palpitations; and irritability.

Treatments

• Recommended treatments for reactive depression include interpersonal therapy, cognitive-behavior therapy and sometimes medications. In some cases treatments are oriented toward lifestyle changes that enable the person to remove the depression-causing stressor from her life, allowing the depression to dissipate. Reactive depression responds well to lifestyle changes and treatment, and the prognosis with treatment is good.

Diagnosis

• Mild to moderate depression will generally meet the guidelines for reactive depression if the depression is also precipitated by a traumatic external event. Reactive depression differs from endogenous depression as reactive depression is not believed to have any underlying biological or somatic processes. Reactive depression is associated with environmental conditions. All depression diagnoses should be made by certified psychological experts, and all treatments chosen should be under the care of a psychotherapist or other trained doctor.