Causes of Depression - Behavioral
Social learning theory (Albert Bandura) underlies the primary behavioral theory that explains depression. It proposes that there is a continuous interaction between what one thinks, how one behaves, and the environmental factors. It is believed that people are generally in control of their behavior and that people have the capacity to make self-directed behavioral changes.
Being depressed is a consequence of decreased positive experiences and outcomes between the person and his environment, a greater number of negative than positive outcomes that are somehow reinforced, or a combination of both. Abnormal behavior (depression) is seen as "problems of living."
Depressive behavior is a pattern developed in a specific learned situation and can be maintained in much the same manner as normal behavior. Behavioral therapists believe that a person can be best understood by what s/he does in a current, particular situation rather than analyze the past to understand the origin of the problem.
