Is depression inherited?

Depression is one of the most common mood disorders worldwide and one of the mental problems most treated in psychology and psychiatry consultationswhich can affect any age range, with differences in symptoms depending on the stage of development in which the person is.

In children, somatic symptoms are more frequent than in adults, in which cognitive and mood problems predominate more.

This disorder presents with different alterations that affect all areas of functioning of the person’s life. At a general level, these alterations are the following:

Mood or emotional disturbances, such as Deep sadness, feelings of hopelessness, lack of interest in things that were interesting before, etc.Cognitive or thinking alterations, among which irrational ideas about oneself, others and the world stand out; difficulties in psychological processes such as memory, concentration, attention, etc.; suicidal ideas, pathological self-criticism.Behavioral alterations, such as psychomotor slowness, reduction and deterioration of activity at all levels (social, performance, self-care, etc.), passivity and avoidance.Physiological alterations, including sleep difficulties, lack of appetite, sexual problems, somatizations such as: headaches, gastric pain, lack of energy and continuous feeling of tiredness.

One of the questions we ask ourselves most is whether this disorder is inherited. Well, numerous studies tell us that, like other types of diseases, depression has a genetic component.

When taking a patient’s medical history, we see that in a considerable percentage of cases of depression there is a family history of either depression or another type of mental disorder. However, this alone does not determine that the disease has been inherited, since Another series of important factors intervene that can lead to suffering from it. These factors are the person’s life events, social and psychological factors.

Besides, There are people who are more vulnerable than others to developing depression, where the aforementioned factors will converge, each one to its own extent. So, the greater the vulnerability, the greater the probability of acquiring the disorder.

Studies continue to investigate genetics

According to studies on the genetic component of depression, There seem to be a series of genes that would be involvedbut which in turn are influenced by the action of environmental factors.

In the so-called “endogenous” depressions in which after an evaluation of the person it can be seen that the influence of external factors is not decisive, that is, that the depression is due to internal and organic causes of the functioning of our brain, that is, where the hereditary component can best be analyzed.

In these cases, If the person has a family history of depression, there may be a genetic factor at play, but it would not be decisive.

In depression, the physiological functioning of the brain is altered in some of the neurotransmitters, responsible for the regulation of emotions, and for these alterations to occur, it is not necessary to have a family history of this disorder.

Following the conclusions of studies on the subject, when the general population is compared with people with a history of depression in first-degree relatives, it is seen that there is a greater prevalence of the disorder in the latter.

Regarding the functioning of the neurotransmitters that intervene in depression, if these are altered, it may be that people are more vulnerable to negatively interpreting the events that occur around them and even the vision they have of themselves.

The environment, a key factor

Depression may be inherited, but we also have to take into account that the way we think, the interpretation we make of situations and the beliefs and schemas (of ourselves and the world in general) are also learned.

The environment in which we grow and develop directly influences our way of seeing the world. For example, if any of the close relatives of reference, such as the father or mother, have a tendency to have a negative view of things and make negative verbal and attitude statements or behaviors, the child will most likely grow up getting used to that and have the same way of interpreting what surrounds you, making you more predisposed to depression.

Would depression be hereditary then?

Therefore, Heredity would be one more component, not the only and determining one. The interaction of multiple factors, as we see, is what would give rise to this complex disorder.

Stressful life events, such as the death of a loved one, separation or divorce, losses in general, major changes, etc., are also risk factors that can contribute to the development of depression.

The researchers who offer us the results on whether depression is inherited have carried out studies with families, twin siblings and adoptees, in order to determine from all possible perspectives whether biological inheritance could be a single predisposing factor for the disease or not.

Today all the results show the same conclusions, and What seems scientifically more probable is that depression does not have to be inherited, although the genetic load has a percentage of influence to take into account.

In mental disorders Multiple factors of etiology and causality must always be taken into account, which are what determine the origin of the disease. And for psychological treatment, this is very important and necessary, in addition to intervening in the factors that maintain the problem.

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