“One such possible cause [of depression] is existential in nature, that is, a person ends up questioning his or her life, death or meaning of life, and by doing so, lapses into depression.”
Two thoughts about this:
• I wouldn’t classify existentialism as a subtype of depression
• I have a hard time believing that existential issues CAUSE depression.
First, I think that existentialism is a common feature of general depression. People think, “What’s the point of living? I have no purpose in life,” and other “existentialist” thoughts when depressed. Not that existentialism and depression are synonymous, but I definitely agree that some type of existentialism is PART of the depression diagnosis. Not it’s own subtype.
Second, I would definitely not declare existentialism a CAUSE of depression. It’s like saying that perfectionism or strict religious views are CAUSES. Okay, maybe the type of person who are driven to find their meaning or purpose in life is the same type of person who is prone to depression… but I would consider that a biological predisposition. I would also argue that one’s own questioning of his/her life is not significant enough of an event to trigger depression. I would think that it was another factor in life that would contribute to one’s existential thinking and depression.
Grey Thinking 