Various chemicals and connections in the brain are thought to have an effect on depression and anxiety. Serotonin, for example, is a chemical in the brain which is thought to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. People who suffer from these ailments are often found to have lower levels of serotonin than the general, healthy population.
Many people who suffer from depression or an anxiety disorder also have close relatives who have some kind of similar mental health disorder. This implies that there may be a genetic component to their illness which causes members of the family to possess the same chemical imbalance in their brain.
Some people possess a genetic trait which predisposes them to a certain mental health illness. However, without a contributing environmental factor (e.g., an extremely stressful job or having a very disturbing or life-threatening experience), they may never develop the condition.
Researchers from Yale University are studying how certain receptors in the brain are affected by different drugs. They found that they can directly impact a person’s mood by using drugs to change how much of various brain chemicals are received by the receptors.
If you are interested in reading a scientific article about receptors and chemicals in the brain and how they are being used by researchers to study disorders like depression and anxiety, click on the link found below. The article caters to the scientifically inclined and contains some medical terminology related to research and psychiatry.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-10-glutamatergic-agents-mood-anxiety-disorders.html
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