'Sticky thinking' hampers decisions in depression

There is a definite psychological component to depression - CBT and meditation are effective treatments - yet a point often absent is how one becomes depressed in the first place. We tend to moralize a lack of resilience and a bad attitude. A more empirical perspective is to look at studies using animal models which show that depressive symptoms can be induced via factors like chronic stress, social defeat, and general deprivation of wants and needs.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8111503/

I'm concerned by the pervasive thought pattern held by many, but especially engineers: that you can think your way out of any problem. This bias leads to preferential seeking and over-prescribing of therapeutic treatments.

Yet how many people who self report depression are also satisfied with the various external factors in their life? Perhaps the correct framework is: a healthy environment is the cornerstone of a healthy mind.

I'm sure it's possible with enough meditation and medication to achieve enlightenment whether you're exiled in the Siberian wilderness or locked up in a castle dungeon, but to do so is working against the grain of nature. Unhealthy environments have a negative impact on individual health. The Foxconn "safety nets" come to mind.

Though I could be mistaken, perhaps zoo animals are only depressed because we haven't fully translated "mindfulness" into ASL.