Is Depression Hereditary?

Depression is one of the most widespread mental health illnesses in the world today. However, scientists and experts still don’t know what causes this severe health condition.

It is known that depression often runs in families and that some specific genes may make a person vulnerable to depression, but the hereditary factor is just part of the picture. A family history of depression may increase the risk of developing depression at some point in your life.

Nevertheless, other factors such as traumatic events in childhood, growing up in a dysfunctional family, other chronic illnesses, and certain life circumstances can increase the risk of depression. This suggests that both genes and the environment can cause depression symptoms to develop.

Hereditary Factors

Research shows that a family history of depression may increase the risk for a particular person. Hereditary factor in depression is not proven to be straightforward, however.

Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is the most common type of depression. This form of depression is more likely to be shared between siblings and children. In other words, a person with a family member who suffers from depression is three to five times as likely to develop this condition at some point in their lives.

Scientists believe that hereditary factors make up for 40 percent of depression cases. Environmental and other factors cause the other 60 percent. Researchers in Great Britain isolated a gene that seems to be prevalent in multiple family members with recurrent depression.

Physiology Factors

Even though we cannot certainly determine what exactly causes depression, some theories propose that depression is caused by an imbalance of the chemical substances called neurotransmitters. These chemical substances are naturally present in our central nervous system (CNS). Neurotransmitters that seem to be most involved in depression symptoms are serotonin, dopamine, and epinephrine. Imbalance of these brain chemicals can trigger depression symptoms.

Life Circumstances and Psychological Factors

According to psychological theories, the way of our upbringing in childhood determines how we think and feel about the world around us. For example, if major communication patterns in a family were based on criticism and negative comments, a person will tend to interpret all the things negatively. Negative thinking patterns can lead to depression since the person every situation understands as potentially discouraging or dangerous.

The most common stressful life events that can trigger depression include the death of a loved one, miscarriage, divorce, job loss, increased demands of the work, and financial difficulties.

Trauma

Traumatic events, such as abuse (sexual, emotional, or physical) or extreme life experiences (like continued bullying) may initiate depression, especially if the victim doesn’t have a strong social support network.

Chronic Illness

Chronic pain and chronic illness can cause a significant amount of stress and anxiety and can lead to depression. The most common chronic diseases that can cause depression include heart disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, cancer, and HIV/AIDS.