Is depression hereditary?

The pressure of life is gradually increasing nowadays. Many people gradually suffer from depression because they cannot bear the pressure of life and work. The cause of this disease is very complex. Psychological factors are a big possibility, but it may also be caused by genetics, that is, inheriting genes related to depression. This article introduces the causes and inheritance of depression. Those who have this disease in their family can learn more about it.

Causes of Depression

The cause of depression is complex and has not yet been fully determined. It is generally believed that biological factors constitute the causes or tendencies of disease, while psychological and socio-cultural factors often act as "trigger media".

Biological factors include genetic factors, biochemical factors, etc.; sociocultural factors include competitive conflicts, conflicts with traditional culture and stressful life events; psychological factors mainly include the personality traits of patients with depression, their coping methods for life events and the lack of social support systems.

Is depression hereditary?

Genetic factors play an important role in the onset of depression. It may not be that the disease-causing gene is inherited directly, but rather that multiple genes related to depression or susceptibility qualities are inherited.

Studies have shown that many patients with depressive disorders have a family history of mental illness. The family members of patients with depression are much more likely to suffer from similar diseases than the general population, and their likelihood of getting the disease is 15 times that of ordinary people. The closer the blood relationship, the higher the chance of getting the disease. Endogenous depression and bipolar depression have a higher genetic risk than other forms of depression.

If a family member suffers from depression, the risk of his or her first-degree relatives (children, parents and siblings) being diagnosed with the disease is 2-3 times higher than that of the average person. If both parents and one child suffer from depression, the probability that other children in the family will be depressed is 40%, and the probability that other children in the family will suffer from the same mental disorder is 25%.

Other factors that influence the inheritance of depression

The earlier a mother develops depression, the greater the risk of her children developing depression. Patients with anxiety disorders and a history of alcoholism

The probability of suffering from depression in the family is also higher than that of the general population. One reason is that alcoholism often masks symptoms of depression because people with depression often drink to relieve pain. So once a person is diagnosed with alcoholism, the possible underlying cause - depression - may be overlooked (this is not to say that all alcoholics suffer from depression).

Experts advise

Although depression is related to genetics, it is also closely related to the acquired growth environment. The atmosphere in a family with depression is likely to be heavier than other families. Therefore, if parents suffer from depression, they should work hard to treat it, get out of depression as soon as possible, and create a happy atmosphere for their children, which is more conducive to the growth of their children and prevents them from suffering from depression.