The Bear Counseling Collective
Abstract
Depression, a condition that affects millions of people worldwide, has been an important subject for the collaboration between psychologists, medical doctors, and beyond. Over the past century, our understanding of depression has undergone a transformation from theory-driven insights of psychoanalysis to the biological and brain-based medical and cognitive models that currently dominate research in the field. In the early 20th century, psychoanalysts like Sigmund Freud proposed an original definition and cause for depression, including components of unconscious conflicts. Today, with advancements in neuroscience and biological psychiatry, depression is a disorder of the brain that is affected by multiple components of the body and experience, including, but not limited to, chemical imbalances, genetic predispositions, and environmental stressors. This paper explores how the understanding of depression has shifted from psychoanalytic concepts based on introspection to a more modern, neuroscience-driven framework, highlighting historical shifts and their implications for both research and clinical practice.
Recommended Citation
Kehtar-Navaz, Melina
(2025)
"The Historical Shift on Depression: Psychoanalysis to Neuroscience,"
The Bear Counseling Collective: Vol. 2, Article 8.
Available at:
https://digscholarship.unco.edu/bcc/vol2/iss1/8