The difference between situational depression and other types of depression is that situational depression, as its name suggests, is caused by life’s situations, or life events. In other words, situational depression is brought on by life.

Sometimes challenging life events, such as the loss of a loved one, a divorce, the loss of a job, the failure to reach some important life goal or any other event that a person sees as bad or terribly upsetting, can cause depression. Situational depression, for instance, commonly occurs after a trauma like a serious car accident or a house fire.

The life event that triggers situational depression can vary in severity. What will cause situational depression in one person won’t cause it in another. A teenager, for instance, who suffers an illness which requires a medication that causes her to gain 40 pounds might fall into a situational depression because of her weight gain. A middle-aged person gaining the same amount of weight might be bothered by the gain but won’t become depressed.

The length of a situational depression generally is determined by the how the sufferer perceives the crisis. In other words, if the sufferer thinks the problem is big, depression is far more likely to result. For example, a person who fails to get a job he applied for might depressed for a day or two. A person who loses a parent may be depressed for weeks, months, or years. Big losses generally cause longer periods of depression.

Situational depression symptoms are very similar to clinical depression symptoms. This is why it can be difficult to determine whether a depressive episode is clinical or situational. After looking at the situational depression symptoms, the best way to figure out whether the depression is situational or clinical is to do a life event inventory. Find out if some event was especially disturbing or upsetting.

Look at various life events and if you suspect they might be the cause of situational depression, ask yourself how you felt before the event and how you felt after. This can help you determine if your depression is situational or clinical.

Just because situational depression doesn’t have a chemical/physical cause doesn’t mean it’s less serious. If you suspect you’re depressed because of a life event, explore depression treatment options for your situational depression.