Exogenous Depression

Exogenous depression, which is more popularly known as reactive depression, occurs after a traumatic event. The word “exogenous” came from the Latin word “exogenus” which literally translates to “growing by additions on the outside”.

In psychiatry, this term refers to a disease or a symptom which grows or emerges from the outside of the body. Individuals who have exogenous depression have gone through significant levels of stress which triggered their condition. Examples of such traumatic experiences are sexual harassment, death of a loved one, divorce or separation, and exposure to violence. Mental health experts used to differentiate depression as exogenous or endogenous (happens without trauma or stress); however, the current practice mostly refers to the specifications featured in the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.