1Cademy - Learned Helplessness as a Cause of Human Depression

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Learned Helplessness
Etiology of Major Depressive Disorder

Theory

Learned Helplessness as a Cause of Human Depression

Based on his experiments, Martin Seligman speculated that learned helplessness could be a significant cause of depression in humans. He proposed that individuals who experience negative life events they perceive as uncontrollable may develop a sense of helplessness. This can lead them to stop trying to alter their situation, resulting in passivity and a lack of initiative, which are symptoms commonly observed in depression.

Updated 2026-07-06

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