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Many types of depression exist; one type is situational depression. Situational depression symptoms can include feelings of anxiety, major depression, and unhappiness following a stressful event.
However, situational depression is not an official mental health diagnosis. It’s classified as an adjustment disorder—specifically, an adjustment disorder with depressed mood.23 Adjustment disorders, which are official diagnoses, make adjusting difficult after experiencing trauma or a dramatic change in day-to-day life.4 Here’s more about situational depression, including the main symptoms, how it’s treated, and how long it lasts.
Situational Depression Symptoms
Several types of adjustment disorders exist in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), including adjustment disorder with anxiety, adjustment disorder with depressed mood (situational depression), and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood.5
Signs a person may be experiencing an adjustment disorder with depressed mood, or situational depression, include:61
Anxiety, possibly expressed as nervousness, tension, or trembling. If you only experience anxiety, you may be diagnosed with adjustment disorder with anxiety, or situational anxiety.
Defiance or impulsive behavior
Skipping heartbeats or other bodily symptoms
Unhappiness and crying
These symptoms should be more severe than would be expected following the stressor. Situational depression may also be severe enough for a person to have suicidal thoughts or attempt suicide. Also, other mental health diagnoses should not be responsible for the symptoms.
What Causes Situational Depression?
Not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will develop situational depression. However, events that could lead to situational depression include:6
Death of a loved one
Divorce, a romantic breakup, or other relationship problems
Loss of a job
Money worries
Moves to a new home or location
A significant diagnosis of illness or surgery
Unexpected disasters
Risk Factors
Some risk factors identified by research for adjustment disorders include
Current or previous exposure to trauma, including injuries
Female sex assignment at birth
History of a mental health disorder
Job loss or lack of a full-time job
Loneliness
Lower self-efficacy
Stressful life events
Is Depression Genetic?
Situational vs. Clinical Depression
Clinical depression, called major depression disorder in the DSM-5, is a mood disorder that affects a person’s everyday functioning for at least two weeks. Like situational depression, clinical depression can occur following a stressful event.
Situational and clinical depression also overlap when it comes to a few symptoms. Both conditions share feelings of sadness or hopelessness and possible withdrawal from others.96
You wouldn’t receive the diagnosis termed “situational depression” from a provider using the DSM-5 as you would with clinical depression.10 Instead, your diagnosis would fall under an adjustment disorder.
Also, clinical depression requires you to have symptoms for at least two weeks straight for a diagnosis. Symptoms of situational depression should show up within three months of exposure to a stressful or traumatic event and generally last no more than six months.6
MedlinePlus. Adjustment disorder.