Hypothesis and the Stress, Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis hypothesis both attribute the disorder to normal biological, chemical and neurological processes occurring in the brain being disrupted.1 While it is generally accepted that these hypotheses and ones like is may be the main cause of many psychological conditions, the majority of our society (54%) view mental illness as a whole to be a sign of personal weakness, rather than a medical condition.3 This stigmatization may be largely due to the current method of diagnosis available. Unlike many health conditions, depression cannot be accurately diagnosed with a simple blood test or genetic screen. It instead relies solely on behavioral methods. Health professionals rely on criteria explained by the DSM-V or the WHO gathered through verbal communication with the patient.4 In more recent years, researchers have set out use common lab testing to explore proteins, gene, and brain patterns changes to more accurately diagnose Major Depressive Disorder and move from purely behavioral methods of diagnosis to a more accurate biological method. The goal of research like this is to establish biomarkers distinctly related to major depressive disorder.5
Through the use of reliable biomarkers to predict and identify the presence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) can revolutionize the way the society perceives depression and in turn the way it is treated within the medical community. With concrete biological evidence that a disorder is present, it will help to move society towards the conclusion that MDD is indeed a medical condition characterized in large part by complex genetic and neurobiological components working in disharmony and not simply one caused by weakness in perpetually unhappy individuals.