What to Know About Situational Depression

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptoms of Situational DepressionWhat Triggers Situational Depression?How Do I Know If I Have Situational Depression?How Is Situational Depression Treated?Coping With Situational Depression

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms of Situational Depression

What Triggers Situational Depression?

How Do I Know If I Have Situational Depression?

How Is Situational Depression Treated?

Coping With Situational Depression

Situational depression involvessymptoms of depressionthat are related to stress. It is not a recognized clinical disorder but is an informal term used to describe what may be more formally diagnosed as a type of adjustment disorder.

Symptoms of situational depression include:

After a difficult life event, whether it is a change in a relationship, the loss of your job, or the death of a loved one, the stress of the situation can cause you to feel sad, helpless, apathetic, lost, irritable, or even hopeless. You might cry frequently, feel listless and unable to focus, or find yourself unable to cope with normal, day-to-day tasks. Things you are normally able to handle seem overwhelming or impossible.

While symptoms usually recede within six months, they may range in severity from milder cases to more severe.

Situational depression begins after some sort of major life change or trauma. Some of the events that may trigger the onset of this form of depression include:

There are certain factors that may increase the risk of situational depression. These include:

Common Causes of Depression

In order to be diagnosed with adjustment disorder with depressed mood, these symptoms must also cause marked distress and/or significant impairment in important areas of life functioning.

While situational depression tends to be less severe and not as pervasive as major depressive disorder, this does not make the condition any less “real.” Situational depression challenges well-being and can make functioning in daily life difficult.

Talking to your doctor can help determine whether you have situational depression. Fortunately, effective treatments can help you manage your symptoms. These often involve treating the symptoms as well as addressing the stressor that triggered these feelings.

Once the stressor has been dealt with, people will begin to adjust, and symptoms generally subside within six months.

Situational depression can be a common and natural reaction to a very stressful or traumatic event. The symptoms are usually short-term and start to improve as:

Mild cases of situational depression can often be handled through self-care and coping strategies. More serious cases may require professional treatment and support.

Treatments for situational depression may include individual counseling, group support, and medications to address serious symptoms of depression. In some cases, a combination of psychotherapy and medications may be used to treat situational depression.

Psychotherapy approaches may include the use ofcognitive-behavioral therapy(CBT), which is an effective treatment for depression. CBT helps replace negative thinking patterns with more adaptive ones. It also helps people develop better resilience to stress and improves coping skills, making it helpful for preventing future relapses of depressive symptoms.

Medications to treat situational depression may include antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs.

The Best Online Therapy Services for Depression We Tried and Tested

There are a number of lifestyle changes that may help you cope with situational depression:

Sometimes situational depression resolves on its own as time passes. People who have good coping skills andresiliencemay be more likely to recover on their own with adequate self-care and social support.

One coping strategy that can be helpful is to put energy toward solving a problem. No matter what sort of stress you are dealing with, looking for things that you can do to improve the situation can help keep you focused on the future. Analyze the situation, consider solutions that might help make things better, and then work toward achieving those goals.

This approach also keeps you focused on the aspects of the situation that you can control, rather than dwelling on the things that are out of your hands.

If you are having problems dealing with a traumatic event and are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, consider talking to your doctor or a therapist.

How to Become More Resilient

Situational depression can be difficult, but it is important to remember that the things you are feeling are temporary. Good coping mechanisms and the support of your loved ones can often relieve symptoms and help you deal with stressful events. As you recover and the situation gets better, you will likely find that your mood improves over time.

If your symptoms seem to be getting worse, talk to your doctor or mental health professional.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Highlights of changes from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5. American Psychiatric Publishing.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US). Table 3.19, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Adjustment Disorders Comparison; 2016.

Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Highlights of changes from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5. American Psychiatric Publishing.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US). Table 3.19, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Adjustment Disorders Comparison; 2016.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Highlights of changes from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5. American Psychiatric Publishing.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US). Table 3.19, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Adjustment Disorders Comparison; 2016.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Highlights of changes from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5. American Psychiatric Publishing.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US). Table 3.19, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Adjustment Disorders Comparison; 2016.

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