Scar Effects and Stress: The Research of Unhappiness

The relationship between depression and early childhood/ adolescent influences has been discussed over recent years.  However, the exact influence of environmental stimuli and experiences on depression is not known.  Sara Weisenbach from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago, presented her findings on the influence of scar effects in psychological behavior that occur later on in an individual’s life.   Scar effects refer to the negative effect of initial depression during adolescence which lowers the baseline level of motivation and happiness. When adolescents become exposed to emotional trauma, a scar effect causes the baseline level of happiness to plunge downwards.  Later on when the traumatic situation is over, the individual cannot fully recover to his or her baseline level.  Instead, the baseline now becomes lowered. This effect can continue to persist for years after the event as well, even as the individual reaches adulthood.   The more stress-induced, traumatic experiences an individual goes through, the lower the baseline level of happiness becomes.  This lowering effect is what can lead to depression or at least increased susceptibility to depression as an adult.  Those who do not undergo this kind of trauma as adolescents do not experience scar effects; therefore, they are less susceptible to becoming depressed as older adults.  Dr. Weisenbach explained that depression is more common in older adults, and it is also underdiagnosed in older adults as well.  

A related study was published by a research team led by Sheldon Cohen at Carnegie Mellon University.  According to the team, stress is a toxic danger to both the body and mind.  Specifically, psychological stress may actually lead to depression and other disorders/diseases (Cohen, 2012).  This study provides insight on how stress can be a sort of bridge between a situation bearing trauma to an individual and the later effects of depression that could result from it.  It analyzes both mental effects and physical effects as well.  Specifically, the physical effect focuses on the rise of cortisol levels due to stress and its relation to the immune response.  However, the mental effects of depression due to stress discussed in this study correlate to Dr. Weisenbach’s research.  Tying in the two studies, the concept of scar effects not only causing depression, but lowering the baseline happiness level relates to the implications behind stress acting similarly to scar effects and possibly even being a sort of scar effect itself.  This portrays the need for research into new treatment methods of depression that involve analysis of depression and stress simultaneously.  With progress in this research area, an effective recovery method for the baseline happiness level may be discovered.  Research within this field has the ability to change many lives; after all, happiness is what determines the quality of life for many.  

References

Cohen, S., Janicki-Deverts, D., Doyle, W. J., Miller, G. E., Frank, E., Rabin, B. S., & Turner, R. B. (2012, April 2).  How stress influences disease: Study reveals inflammation as the culprit.  ScienceDaily.  Retrieved April 26, 2015 from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120402162546.htm

(images: http://img.wonderhowto.com/img/37/01/63475347859646/0/create-fake-scars-for-halloween-using-rigid-collodion.1280x600.jpg)