The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 350 million people worldwide experience depressive symptoms at any time, with clinical depression accounting for 4.3% of the global disease burden. Yet, the term “depression” has become so common in our culture that it’s often used casually—“that’s depressing” or as a stand-in for sadness. Psychologists add further layers by introducing various types of depression based on timelines and symptoms that sometimes feel indistinguishable from one another.
Ask about the roots of depression, and you’ll receive complex, multifaceted answers. Perhaps depression isn’t something to be fully grasped in theory, but rather as a state—one that demands understanding through lived experience rather than abstract thought. Menacing as it may be, a fulfilling life may only come from facing it, as Carl Jung expressed: “No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell.”
For many, reading about depression can provide insight, and numerous seasoned psychologists may indeed “know” much about it. Yet, theories and concepts, however insightful, stay hollow unless they translate into real-world understanding. Knowledge of depression drawn solely from textbooks or research, without lived application, remains detached from the true human experience and ultimately serves little purpose for those it’s meant to help.
To begin with the abstract causes, it’s essential to consider several scientific and philosophical frameworks that attempt to explain depression.
Most neurobiological models suggest that depression is closely related to other fundamental emotions such as fear, pain, grief, or, perhaps most obviously, sadness. As the universally common emotion, sadness has a functional role in the journey of life, and depression may serve a similar purpose. Neuropsychological research indicates that depression often forces individuals inward, encouraging introspection, which is a uniquely human cognitive ability.
Several evolutionary models propose that depression may have developed as an adaptive mechanism. Central to these theories is the idea that depression might serve a functional purpose by forcing individuals to pause and reassess their lives. This theory aligns with how depression can halt people in their tracks, though in a more debilitating way. The main concept is that depression has ancient roots, initially serving a purpose but also revealing a darker side.
Humans are unique in their ability to reflect deeply on their internal world, making depression not only a biological experience but also a profoundly psychological one. Some psychological models highlight our capacity for self-awareness and insight into our emotions and mental states. Depression may allow for this type of introspection, forming narratives such as “I’ve felt low for months,” helping individuals recognize their own emotional patterns.
Discussing the root causes of depression often brings us to consider religious and spiritual dimensions, as most societies have deep religious roots. Many religious frameworks interpret depression as an external force or spirit that “attacks” or “visits” the individual, contributing to the belief that, like an illness, it can be “cured” through external means. While this perspective may help explain severe depression, it can unintentionally reinforce the idea that depression originates outside the individual rather than within.
While scientific and philosophical models provide structure, the reality of depression can be felt more intimately through art’s expression.
To truly grasp depression, one might turn less to abstraction and more toward art’s intimate language—poetry, fiction, and music—which speaks to depression’s depth and emotional weight.
In Acquainted with the Night, Robert Frost captures the loneliness depression brings:
“I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain—and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light…”
The poem’s imagery mirrors the isolation and resignation that depression often imposes.
In music, artists like Linkin Park and Metallica convey the dark intensity of depression. Linkin Park’s Shadow of the Day reveals a bleak embrace: “and the shadow of the day / will embrace the world in grey / and the sun will set for you.” Metallica’s Fade to Black portrays the hollowing effects of despair: “Life, it seems, will fade away / drifting further every day / getting lost within myself / nothing matters, no one else.”
In fiction, we find powerful metaphors for the struggle of depression. In The Divine Comedy, Dante stands at the threshold of hell, reading, “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” This serves as a metaphor for entering one’s own darkness, a caution to confront despair without surrender. Moby Dick captures the melancholy of avoiding life’s suffering, hinting at depression in lines like, “Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul… I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.”
Through poetry, music, and literature, art might bring us closer to understanding the realities of depression. However, true understanding still eludes those who haven’t walked through it themselves.
We shouldn’t dismiss the abstract understanding of depression, nor should we assume that science alone can fully grasp it. Just as gravity explains why we fall but not the experience of falling, clinical facts about depression reveal only part of the reality. Depression isn’t just sadness; it’s far more complex. Metaphor—in songs, poetry, and fiction—may be our closest way to truly comprehend it. This depth of understanding invites a richer, more honest perspective on life, one that values connection, resilience, and meaning over shallow pursuits of happiness and materialism. A society grounded in this approach may find a truer sense of fulfillment.
