introversion, self-criticism, excessive skepticism and criticism of others, deep feelings of inadequacy, and excessive serious and worrying. In addition, people who regularly behave in dependent, hostile, and impulsive ways appear at greater risk for depression.To some cognitive perspectives, depression is caused by "learned helplessness," an learned belief that one cannot control the outcome of events. In this view, long-time exposure to uncontrollable and inescapable events leads to apathy, pessimism, and loss of motivation. The other cognitive psychologists argues that depression results not only from helplessness, but also from hopelessness. The hopelessness theory attributes depression to a pattern of negative thinking in which people blame themselves for negative life events, view the causes of those events as permanent, and overgeneralize specific weaknesses as applying to many areas of their life.Cognitive psychologists also agree that stressful experiences can create depression in people who are predisposed to the illness. For example, the death of a loved one may cause depression. Psychologists usually distinguish true depression from grief, a normal process of mourning a loved one who has died. Other stressful experiences may include divorce, pregnancy, the loss of a job, and even childbirth. In addition, people with serious physical illnesses or disabilities often develop depression. People who experience child abuse appear more vulnerable to depression than others. So, too, do people living under chronically stressful conditions, such as single mothers with many children and little or no support from friends or relatives....
