When I was 12, I had a wonderful science class. From day one, we built a battery (cell) from scratch. Then as we did more and more experiments, most of them based upon Physics, we used the battery to power up the experiments. That was very cool, because it meant that the success of all of the experiments built upon the success of the 1st one. That's a tiny bit of pressure, but not with a good mentor.
In time, we discussed potential energy. It was a curious topic: a radical idea for a child's mind. Sure, I could see the mechanical energy easily in the motion it displayed. I could see the electrical energy when it turned on a light or made a dc motor turn. But the idea of potential energy...well I struggled with it.
It's actually only a two hundred year old concept. It's a model based upon the ideas of a 19th Century Scottish man named William Rankine. Imagine a person carrying a rock to the edge of a cliff. It's heavy and if it is allowed to fall over the cliff, the potential energy is liberated and transformed into kinetic energy (the motion of a falling rock in this case). The kinetic energy of the person walking up the hill gave energy to the rock. Classically it's described by pressing on a compression spring, the energy is stored and ready to rebound to its original state, and kinetic energy is delivered as a result of the release of the spring.
In each of us, there is energy waiting to be liberated and transformed into another kind of energy. Or not. Many of us come home tired from work that may not be physically taxing, just mentally, and we're more tired of being there and not at home and need rest. Still there is potential energy inside us to do more work, but since we're used to a routine, we don't tap that energy, we let it go to waste. Since many of consume more energy in the form of biochemical products (food as calories) than we can use, we get fat and mentally lazy. Since we might be unsatisfied with our lives, we tend to live vicariously by watching the actions of more active and more interesting people (television). It's a perversion of the idea of the Source. People in previous centuries never had as much personal time to use by watching the imaginary actions of another. It's very odd, isn't it?
Often post Christmas, and when people realize that they've consumed more calories than normal, and had their fill of being sedentary, they make an adjustment in their exercise and consumption of calories and amount of time watching television. While that change in potential energy to kinetic energy in exercise is hard work, it mostly gives us a pleasant feedback in the way we appear and our personal level of beauty or attractiveness. People who see us note that we look happier, appear more fulfilled and confident, and look more muscular and healthy. That process continues until we get tired of exerting so much kinetic energy and usually return to old habits. Or maybe we get tired of the complements or people get tired of offering them.
To prepare for a SHTF scenario and also to build up a healthy community whether it happens or not, transforming that potential energy into kinetic energy will benefit your ability to adapt, overcome, and survive.
I put it to you that the primary reason that many people feel like things are in a malaise, is that they can't see the potential in themselves to do more or they can't see the potential in others or they can't see the potential in the natural gifts of the Source around them. Losing Hope = not recognizing potential energy.
How does this compare with almost every people and time prior to our own? Imagine the desert people who first encountered the Source. In the desert, there are many plants and animals and naturally created items, and those who understand the lore of what is available and can utilize it, can survive. Nothing is wasted. Animal feces (literal crap) are dried and burned to provide heat for cooking and when it gets colder. Wells are dug to tap into the water found below that is naturally filtered. When rain falls, it naturally waters whatever crops can be raised locally. Certain plants and animals naturally do well in that ecosystem. These are the majority of foods that are consumed. Over time people realize that they can store food items to increase their survival. They alter their existing agriculture methods to allow larger tribes in one maintained living space. An abundance of stored products makes trade between other desert people possible. More trade usually means less war. War is expensive and while the other people could seize their goods, unless they enslave the makers of them, usually it's not in their best interest to do so.
They are hopeful since they see the potential in the gifts from the Source. If they merely do the drudgery of work without the Hope that comes from an awareness of the Source, then they find some kind of entertainment to keep at bay the Despair.
Depression = no Hope for a long time = a lack of awareness of the Source AND an inability to see the potential
I would put it to you that an economic Depression is really not very different than a personal one. An economic Depression is a lack of optimism in the potential for people to produce things regularly.
In a post-SHTF scenario, the more that each person can activate their potential, see the potential in each other, be aware of the Source, and see and use the lore of natural gifts from the Source, the happier and more fulfilled they will be. Those who can't and adapt and overcome will compete for found items, since they can't create them, and depression, destruction, and death will result as they fight for them.