Is Depression Hereditary Or Inherited?: Exploring Treatment Options For People With Depression
- For those experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988
- For those experiencing abuse, please contact the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- For those experiencing substance use, please contact SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Is depression hereditary? Genetics, heredity, and environmental factors influencing depression
Depression usually develops due to a combination of biological and environmental factors. It is possible to have a genetic predisposition to depression, particularly if someone in your immediate family has experienced the disorder. However, this does not necessarily guarantee that you will ever develop depression.
Depression treatment usually involves a combination of therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Getting regular physical activity, having a strong support system, practicing emotional awareness and intelligence, implementing regular self-care, and developing adaptive coping skills may defend against the development of depression. If you’re experiencing depression symptoms or any other mental health concerns, reaching out to a therapist can be helpful.
Understanding mental health conditions: What is depression?
Researchers at the American Psychiatric Association define depression as a “common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think, and how you act.” While sadness can be a typical part of the human experience and something everyone feels on occasion, if your feelings persist for weeks or even years, affect how you perform at home, work, or other parts of your life, and cause you physical or emotional distress, you may be living with depression or another mood disorder. Depression can be treated, and though no permanent cure may currently exist, you can often effectively manage symptoms to reduce their impact.
Common depression symptoms
Depression can affect you psychologically, emotionally, and physically.
Psychological symptoms
Psychological symptoms, or symptoms that affect how you think, can include trouble concentrating or making decisions, fixating on past failures, and anhedonia, the inability to find pleasure in things you used to enjoy. Psychological symptoms may also include suicidal thoughts or actions.
Emotional symptoms
Depression can affect your emotional stability by causing intense feelings of sadness or hopelessness, a consistently depressed mood, irritability, frequent crying, and excessive guilt.
Physical symptoms
Many people experience physical depression symptoms, such as drastic changes to eating habits or sleep patterns, weight loss or gain, low energy and persistent fatigue, difficulty sitting still, pacing, decreased speed of speech, thoughts, and movements, and unexplained pains with no apparent cause, such as headaches, stomachaches, and muscle pain.
Is depression hereditary or inherited from family genes?
It is believed that those with a first-degree relative—parents, siblings, or children—with depression have a two to three times higher risk of developing depression than the general public. However, having a close relative with depression doesn't necessarily mean you will develop the condition. Many people with this genetic predisposition never develop symptoms, and many without a family history of depression can also experience the disorder.
What increases the risk of depression?
While depression often runs in families, researchers haven't named a definitive cause for the disorder. Instead, the medical community generally believes depression develops due to a complex interaction of biological factors, such as genetics, and environmental factors, such as personal experiences.
Common risk factors for depression may include the following:
- Genetics and family history
- Significant changes to life circumstances
- Traumatic experiences and post-traumatic stress disorder
- Certain physical illnesses
- Medication interactions
- Brain chemistry irregularities
- Severe stress
- Biological differences in the brain
- Hormonal imbalances
- Low self-esteem
- Lack of emotional support
- Poor sleep hygiene
- Inadequate nutritional intake
- Inability to get reliable necessities, such as food, clothing, or shelter
- Abuse, neglect, or other trauma during childhood
Brain chemistry and depression
In the late 1950s, the chemical imbalance theory gained traction. The theory suggested a potential link between the neurotransmitter serotonin and mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and other mood, personality, and behavior disorders. Current scientific evidence has generally disproved this theory, but experts have spent decades researching the connection between mental health and brain chemistry.
While neurochemistry might not play the role initially theorized, it can affect many physical and emotional functions, such as sleep, behavior patterns, memory formation and recollection, appetite, mood, cognitive processes, pleasure, stress responses, arousal, and brain development.
Is depression hereditary? Biological factors and family genetics vs. environmental factors
Biological factors, such as genetics, brain function, and neurochemistry, likely play a significant role in the development of depression. However, environmental factors, like personal history, current circumstances, and level of emotional support, can also impact depression prevalence. While researchers have yet to determine how much biological and environmental factors affect depression development, both are often involved.
Treatment options for major depression
Depression is often treated with a combination of talk therapy and medication. A comprehensive depression treatment plan may include adaptive coping skills and meaningful changes to one’s lifestyle, behaviors, and cognitive patterns.
Psychotherapy
Working with a licensed therapist is a standard treatment for depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a popular treatment option for depression because it focuses on the connection between how a person thinks and how they feel and behave. CBT sessions may involve examining past experiences and how they affect current thinking, as well as identifying harmful thought patterns. A mental health professional can help individuals with depression shift toward healthier thoughts, leading to improved mood and healthier behaviors.
Talk therapy for depression typically has three phases: the acute phase, the continuation phase, and the maintenance phase.
Acute: The acute phase lasts around six to eight weeks and generally focuses on symptom relief and helping the individual function in daily life.
Continuation: This phase lasts around four to nine months and involves reinforcing positive changes and learning how to manage triggers.
Maintenance: Maintenance therapy is a form of ongoing treatment often recommended for those with a high risk of recurring depression.
Medication options for the treatment of major depression
Please speak to your doctor or psychiatrist if you’re interested in trying medication for depression. While medication can effectively treat depression symptoms in many people, it can be important to remember that it does not typically address the underlying condition.
Is depression hereditary? Tips for people with a family history of depression
If you are genetically predisposed to developing depression, consider the following methods to mitigate the risk of developing the disorder.
Stay physically active
Exercise can release endorphins, which are neurochemicals that can boost your mood. Regular physical activity can act as an early line of defense to safeguard your mental health if you have a genetic predisposition toward depression.
Build a robust and active support system
Social isolation can contribute to the severity of depression symptoms, along with being a symptom itself. Avoid social withdrawal by maintaining active social connections with friends and family. Use your emotional support network when you’re having trouble managing your feelings.
Practice emotional intelligence, awareness, and literacy
Develop your sense of emotional intelligence to recognize and understand how you're feeling. Emotional awareness can ensure you can identify your feelings, anticipate reactions, and choose an appropriate coping mechanism. Emotional literacy can help you effectively communicate your feelings and needs to those closest to you. Depression may have a more challenging time taking root if you are aware of your emotions and know how to efficiently process the feelings associated with the disorder.
Safeguard your physical, emotional, and mental health
Practice a regular self-care routine that safeguards your overall health and well-being. Get plenty of exercise, eat a balanced diet, and develop healthy sleep hygiene.
Develop adaptive coping skills to manage a predisposition to depression and other mental health conditions
Coping skills can involve anything that helps you through difficult situations. If you have healthy, practical ways to address your stress and emotional reactions, you will likely recognize depression symptoms early and seek help.
When to reach out for mental health support
It may be time to seek professional help from a doctor or mental healthcare provider if you are experiencing depressive symptoms that are interfering with your ability to function at work, home, school, or other parts of your life.
Benefits of online therapy for people with depression
If you’re experiencing symptoms of depression that are negatively impacting your life, it may be challenging to leave the house, even to attend therapy. If this is the case, consider connecting with a licensed mental health professional through an online therapy platform. You can choose between phone call, video call, and online chat sessions, empowering you to personalize your therapy experience.
Efficacy of online therapy
A 2020 study investigating the efficacy of online CBT for depression in comparison to the efficacy of in-person treatment found that online therapy was just as effective as face-to-face therapy. If you’re living with depression symptoms, online therapy may be a viable treatment option.
Takeaway
Is anxiety inherited?
Genetic factors may make an individual more susceptible to anxiety, which means a family history of anxiety may result in a greater tendency to develop an anxiety disorder. However, genes are not solely responsible for causing anxiety disorders. Environmental and psychological factors also play a role in the development of anxiety symptoms.
Are you born with anxiety and depression?
Research suggests that major depression may have a genetic component, with a heritability of around 40% to 50%. However, having a depressed family member does not guarantee that a person will develop it, too. Genetic factors may also influence other mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and other mood and anxiety disorders.
Do mental illnesses such as major depression skip a generation?
Many mental health conditions are influenced by genetic factors. For example, individuals with a family history of major depression may be at an increased risk for the condition. However, this does not mean that every person with a family history of major depressive disorder will develop it.
Can genetic anxiety and depression be cured?
There are several effective treatment options for anxiety. In most cases, anxiety treatment involves psychotherapy, anti-anxiety medicine, or a combination of the two. Most people with anxiety may also benefit from lifestyle changes, such as getting enough sleep, avoiding caffeine, and engaging in physical activity. Stress management techniques, like yoga and meditation, may also help overcome life stress and reduce anxiety symptoms.
Major depression is also highly treatable, and most people who undergo treatment recover from their symptoms. Treatment for depression often involves psychotherapy and medication. In cases of severe, treatment-resistant depression, electroconvulsive therapy may be recommended. Untreated depression may have serious consequences, such as worsening symptoms, self-harming behaviors, and suicidal thoughts. It can also lead to an increased risk for physical health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Is depression a chemical imbalance?
According to Harvard Medical School, depression is more complex than a chemical imbalance. There may be a relationship between depression and neurotransmitter imbalance, but other areas of brain function may be involved in the development of depression. For instance, dysregulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may also play a role. The HPA axis is a key component of the body’s stress response system, and an overactive HPA axis can cause an increase in stress hormones, contributing to the development of depressive symptoms. According to a 2015 study, HPA axis dysfunction is seen in around 70% of people living with depression.
Depression can also affect the brain by disrupting connections between neurons in the hippocampus, resulting in reduced hippocampal volume. A 1999 study showed that women with a history of recurrent major depression had smaller hippocampal volumes than those without a history of depression.
What causes depression?
Researchers believe that depression may have several possible causes. According to Harvard Medical School, the growth and connections of nerve cells in the brain can have a significant impact on depression. Certain brain regions, including the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the thalamus, in particular, are believed to play a major role in the development of depression.
Depression may also be more likely in people with physical health conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or chronic pain. For example, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, people living with cystic fibrosis may be more likely to experience depression. Chronic stress, childhood trauma, and stressful life events may also lead to an increased risk of developing major depression.
What is the root of anxiety and depression?
Anxiety and depression are believed to have a significant genetic component, but this doesn’t mean that every person with a family history of anxiety or depression will develop either disorder. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), depression may also be caused by psychological and environmental factors, such as past physical or emotional traumas. Anxiety can also occur alongside major depression. According to the American Journal of Psychiatry, anxiety disorders and depressive disorders are highly comorbid with each other and often exist during the same time frame.
What is the most inherited mental illness?
It can be challenging to pinpoint what the most inherited mental illness is, as genetic factors are believed to play just one part in the development of mental health disorders. According to the National Institutes of Health, the following five disorders tend to have strong genetic components: autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Bipolar disorder, in particular, is highly heritable. According to a 2013 study on bipolar disorder and genetics, the concordance rate of bipolar disorder, or the percentage of twin pairs in which both twins have bipolar disorder, was significantly higher in identical twins than in fraternal twins. The study also shows that since identical twins share nearly identical DNA, genes alone cannot be responsible for causing bipolar disorder.
What is depression not caused by?
Many researchers now believe that major depression is not solely caused by a chemical imbalance or low serotonin, if at all. It is also not caused by one specific experience, although certain personality traits and stressful life events can serve, in part, as triggers. For example, a childhood history of sexual abuse is one of the established risk factors for adult depression.
What is the rarest mental disorder?
Disorders with low prevalence rates include psychiatric conditions, such as dissociative identity disorder (DID), and delusional disorders, such as delusional parasitosis or clinical lycanthropy.
Is depression hereditary?
Major depression may have a strong genetic component. Experts have yet to pinpoint the different genes involved in the development of depression, but research has shown that it is not a single-gene disorder, which means no single gene is responsible for causing depression. Instead, major depression may be influenced by interactions between several genes and other biological and environmental factors. Many genes are also involved in the development of other mental health conditions, such as generalized anxiety disorder and bipolar disorder.
Thanks for the feedback!
- Previous Article
- Next Article
- What is Postpartum Depression, And How Do I Cope With Symptoms Of Depression?
- What Is Manic Depression And How Does It Relate To Mental Health?
- Recognizing The Warning Signs Of Depression And Bipolar Disorder
- Clinical Depression Test And Diagnosis: Understanding Mental Health Screening
- What Is Bipolar Depression? Mental Health Symptoms & Treatment