Monday, March 25, 2024

Is Depression Genetic Or Environmental

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Nurture: How Our Environment Contributes To Depression

How to Spot Severe Depression vs Feeling Depressed

Researchers have established numerous environmental risk factors that contribute to depression, including:

  • Upbringing: Children who grow up with a parent who is depressed are at an increased risk for depression. Behavioral changes in a depressed parent can negatively affect their children and increase the risk that theyll develop depression or another mental illness later in life.
  • Trauma: Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in childhood increases the risk of depression.
  • Negative lifestyle factors: Certain behaviors like overworking, abusing drugs and/or alcohol, and poor diet can contribute to depression.
  • Major life events: Stressful life events such as job loss, divorce, and loss of a loved one can trigger depressive episodes.

When To Seek Help

Anyone who has felt persistently down, sad, angry, or numb can speak with a doctor at any time to get help. Doing this sooner will mean a person can access treatment more quickly.

A person does not need to wait until symptoms become severe before getting support. Speaking with a doctor or mental health professional early may help prevent depression from progressing.

If a person does not have symptoms but is concerned about their depression risk, they can also speak with a medical professional for advice on how to look after their mental health.

People with severe symptoms or thoughts of suicide should seek help immediately.

Is Depression A Genetic Disorder

Genetics definitely has a role to play in causing depression. Having depression running in the family definitely predisposes an individual to this mental condition, but it definitely does not promise it to happen. Let us see what research has to suggest on the question Is depression genetic:

Research has supported that there is a gene that might be responsible for depression. It is found to be prevalent in individuals and their family members who are diagnosed with depression. The chromosome 3p25-26 is by far the most studied one that is found to link with depression.

Apart from this one chromosome, various other studies have proposed certain gene variants being associated with depression and its symptoms.

If a first-degree relative is diagnosed with depression the Nan individuals chances of being diagnosed by it increase three to five times.

The most famous twin studies have also supported that if one of the twins has depression, the chances for the one to be diagnosed with it just doubles up.

Depending on our genetic structure, there might be certain neurotransmitters that are produced in lower levels thus leading to depressive symptoms.

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Some Facts About Depression

Depression affects more than 264 million people around the world. It can appear at any age, but its often diagnosed between the ages of 18 and 25. Many adults over the age of 65 also struggle with depression .

About 16 million adults in the U.S. experience major depressive disorder in a given year. It affects women more so than men, and its the leading cause of disability in people 15 to 44 years old. About half of those are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder .

It goes without saying that mood disorders are a significant health problem.

Depression can be the cause or symptom of many other health issues, like IBS, substance abuse, sleep disorders, eating disorders, and stress, to name a few. Diabetes and depression occur together twice as often as by chance alone, meaning they may share some biological mechanisms .

Again, it is not an isolated condition people suffer because something bad happened that they arent strong enough to deal with. Its a health issue, plain and simple, and should be treated as such.

Not only that, but roughly 40% of differences in depression is genetics. This is why its important to understand what your risks are so you can address them.

So, what exactly is depression?

Midcity Tms Is Here To Help

Etiology of Depression: Genetic and Environmental Factors

Although genetic studies dont prove that depression is all in the brain or that psychological treatment is not warranted, they do remind us that depression is fundamentally a condition that involves a dysfunctional brain. Therefore, the treatments that often work best, such as TMS , directly impact the brain. TMS is a safe and non-invasive way to help stimulate the brain using magnetic pulses.

MidCity TMS is proud to help patients treat and manage their depression by providing expert and compassionate transcranial magnetic stimulation services. Read more about the science behind depression on our blog and contact us today to begin your or your familys healing journey.

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Depression Develops When There Is An Interaction Between A Persons Genetics And Environment

A combination of risk factors that includes both ones environment and genes is necessary for someone to develop depressionone is not more important than the other. Although certain genes can increase someones risk of developing depression, inheriting one does not guarantee you will develop the condition. If you inherit a gene associated with depression and are exposed to certain situations or trauma in your life, you may be more susceptible to developing depression.

Additionally, a study published in 2016 suggests that a persons environment can override a genetic predisposition for depression. Researchers observed behavior in rats that were bred for depression. They found that providing a type of psychotherapy to rats that had an increased risk for depression alleviated their risk for depression. This study suggests that depression may be able to be prevented in children with a high inheritable risk for depression using cognitive behavioral therapy.

Alcohol Tobacco And Other Drugs

The misuse and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and prescription medications affect the health and well-being of millions of Americans. SAMHSAs 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that approximately 19.3 million people aged 18 or older had a substance use disorder in the past year.

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But What About Nature Vs Nurture

This is where the waters get murky. Because, yes, there is the sadness gene, and there are many documented instances of hereditary depression.

However, a lot of people in those studies also grew up in the same environment.

So while there may be a genetic link, theres no way to prove that the younger generation didnt learn depression by seeing how parents and other relatives dealt with difficult experiences and stress rather than genetically inheriting it.

Family Environment And Risk Factors

Clinical depression – major, post-partum, atypical, melancholic, persistent

While many things can factor into the risk of developing depression, researchers found that family environment may play a key role.

According to a Swedish adoption study, family environment could be a protective factor for people who have high-risk genes for major depression.

The study defines a high-quality family environment as one not affected by divorce or parental death before the child turned 15 years old.

Low levels of psychiatric drug or substance use, high educational status, and economic security in the adoptive parents were also considered positive for providing a stable home environment, according to researchers.

Families can come in many different types. A healthy, high-quality family environment can be whatever home environment or family structure that feels most comfortable and right for you and your loved ones.

Researchers looked at a sample of 2,596 half-sibling pairs who had at least one biological parent with major depression, putting them at high risk for major depression. They also looked at more than 660 high-risk full-sibling pairs.

Each sibling pair involved at least one adopted-away sibling and one home-reared sibling.

After controlling for important factors, the researchers found that high-risk half-siblings whod been adopted into healthy family environments were 19% less likely to develop major depression, compared to the home-reared sibling.

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What Other Factors Might Contribute To Depression

Like many psychiatric disorders, depression is complex and can be triggered or made worse by other factors, such as stress, nutrition, and other medical conditions.

There is often more than one factor involved in the onset of depression. Besides genes, depression has been linked to the following:

Physiological factors

  • chemical mood regulations in the brain

What Is Samhsa’s National Helpline

SAMHSAs National Helpline, , or TTY: is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 to find help near you. Read more about the HELP4U text messaging service.

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Introduction To Depression And Genetics

Many cultures misrepresent depression, confusing it with other negative moods like sadness, anxiety, and despair. It has been attached to ideas of strength and weakness, to notions of gender, and like many mental disorders, viewed in as negative a light as possible.

Things as nebulous and difficult to understand as depression are easy to attach a negative label to because we dont want to deal with them.

It is, however, too important an issue to brush aside just because its difficult to understand or measure. Much like you can have a kidney disorder or a lung disorder, you can have disorders of the brain, which is what a mood disorder is.

These are beyond your ordinary emotional responses to various stimuli in the world. Its normal to feel anxious about something, but an anxiety disorder is something different. Its normal to get depressed about something, but depression is something different.

You can understand how someone could have a gene mutation that makes a body process not work properly, causing them to be more likely to get cancer. But is depression genetic?

Well, mood disorders can be thought of in the same way. A genetic mutation causes something in the brain not to work properly and makes someone much more likely to develop depression.

Does Gender Play A Part

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According to the numbers, yes. Some research from 2006 suggests that women are considerably more likely to develop some kind of hereditary depression.

But that gap is closing more each year. Depression in males is believed to be significantly underreported due to stigma around masculinity and showing emotions.

Depression may also present differently in men than in women on average. Theres a growing movement to widen the diagnostic criteria so they include behaviors more typical of males with depression, like increased risk-taking and a higher tendency to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol.

A 2013 analysis using a wider range of criteria found the gender gap between rates of diagnosable depression to be much narrower around 30 percent for men and 33 percent for women.

Most of the research on depression and gender is heteronormative. Studies that include trans and gender-nonconforming folks have found that their rates of diagnosable depression and/or anxiety could be as high as 52 percent .

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Can Genetics Affect Mental Health Treatment

Depression can be treated with medication, psychotherapy, and other interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy . Some people may be prescribed a combination of treatments.

Your genes may influence how well a specific treatment works for you. For example, research has indicated that certain genes might affect how well your body absorbs, uses, and excretes alcohol and drugs, including antidepressant medications.

Several genes are known to influence drug metabolism, but the results from these studies are primarily of interest to doctors and researchers.

While some consumer genomic test kits provide information about topics like drug metabolism, genomic testing is not the same as genetic testing.

Furthermore, doctors and scientists don’t fully know how useful this information may be for consumers. Talk to your doctor before using your genomic health information to make decisions about your health care, including your depression treatment.

Additional research is needed to understand what findings from genetic studies could mean for antidepressants as well as other medications used to treat depression.

Genetics factors aside, if you’ve been diagnosed with depression and are trying to , keep in mind that the process can take time. You may need to try more than one type of therapy before finding the right fit. You might even need to adjust or change your treatment plan over time.

Genome Studies On Family History Of Depression

Recent advancements in science and technology have allowed researchers to conduct large-scale genome studies to explore how our genes are related to depression.

A genome-wide association study is a type of study that involves scanning complete sets of DNA, or genomes, of large numbers of people in order to detect any genetic patterns linked to a particular disease.

Once these genetic links are found, scientists use the data to develop better ways to detect, prevent, and treat disease.

Until recently, gene studies on depression have focused primarily on candidate genes, or genes believed to be involved in the development of depression.

Some of the most commonly studied candidate genes have included those regulating serotonin or dopamine, since these neurotransmitters are believed to play a role in depression and are the targets of antidepressant drugs.

However, its been hard to repeat these findings. The newer GWAS takes a completely different approach. Rather than looking at specific candidate genes, the GWAS method allows researchers to analyze a million or more variants across the entire genome.

In a major GWAS of 1.2 million people from four separate data banks, researchers identified 178 gene variants linked to major depression. The researchers think they may just be scratching the surface, as there may be hundreds or even thousands of these gene variants to discover.

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Depression And The Environment

All this to say that even people who come from families with a history of depression are not guaranteed to experience depressive episodes in their life.

Family history does not necessarily dictate that someone will develop major depression, although they are at increased risk, says Sumner. Or as Dr. Robert Klitzman, a professor of clinical psychiatry and director of the masters program in bioethics at Columbia University, tells The New York Times. Doctors see much more like predicting the weather.

To predict depression, despite a strong genetic correlation, theres still that 60 percent risk that is directly related to ones environment.

Genetic risk is only a part of the equation, says Sumner. Psychosocial stress and ones interaction with their environment are important.

Adverse experiences can be a major component of depression. Relationships or employment, for example, can reveal how individuals are negatively connected to sometimes toxic and impactful situations that can be a driving force for stress and depressed mood.

Environmental factors Sumner identifies that can lead to depression include a household where the caregivers were severely depressed, severe life stress, chronic strain, a history of abuse or neglect, maladaptive coping, among other factors. Add to the list trauma, loss of a loved one, social isolation, serious physical illness, and other major life events.

How Your Environment Impacts Your Risk For Developing Depression

Depression Is Not Caused by a Chemical Imbalance

If youre among the millions of people affected by depression every year, you may want to look at possible environmental factors in your mental illness. When considering environmental factors, you should consider your upbringing and your surroundings.

  • Substance Abuse

Abusing prescription drugs like opioids and using illicit substances like cocaine, heroin, or meth puts you at a greater risk of developing depression. Opioids and stimulants interfere with the dopamine and serotonin naturally produced by your brain.

Your brain will eventually struggle to produce these hormones when you abuse drugs. And since these hormones impact your feelings of happiness and pleasure, youre likely to feel sad and depressed when you arent using them.

  • Childhood Trauma

One of the most significant environmental factors leading to depression is childhood trauma. Suppose you experienced sexual, verbal, or physical abuse, witnessed a death, experienced a tragic accident, or were diagnosed with a chronic illness. In that case, you have a greater risk of developing depression.

  • Environmental Pollutants

While studies are still being conducted to determine how much environmental pollutants impact your depression risk, research has concluded there is a link between the two. Air, water, and even noise

pollution can be a factor in your likelihood of depression symptoms.

  • Chronic Illness

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Geneenvironment Interaction In Humans And In The Nonhuman Primate Model

Because the genetic basis of present-day temperamental and behavioural traits may reflect selective forces among our remote ancestors, research efforts have recently been focused on nonhuman primates, especially rhesus macaques. In this primate model, environmental influences are probably less complex, can be more easily controlled for and are thus less likely to confound associations between behaviour and genes. All forms of emotionality in rhesus monkeys appear to be modulated by environmental factors, and marked disruptions to the motherinfant relationship probably confer increased risk.

Taken together, these findings provide evidence of an environment-dependent association between allelic variation of 5-HTT expression and central 5-HT function, and they illustrate the possibility that specific genetic factors play a role in 5-HT-mediated behaviour in primates. Because rhesus monkeys exhibit temperamental and behavioural traits that parallel anxiety, depression and aggression-related personality dimensions observed in humans with the low-activity 5HTTLPR variant, it may be possible to search for evolutionary continuity in the genetic mechanism for individual differences. Nonhuman primate studies may also be useful in helping to identify environmental factors that either compound the vulnerability conferred by a particular genetic makeup or, conversely, act to improve the behavioural outcome associated with a distinct genetic makeup.

Genetic Factors And Depression

Depression can run in families. But having a parent or a sibling with depression doesnt necessarily mean youll have it, too.

If depression runs in your family, you have about a 30% chance of developing it, compared to the typical 10% chance in the general population.

However, recurrent depression may carry a higher genetic risk.

For example, if your parent or sibling has experienced a depressive episode more than once, especially starting earlier in life , your risk may be 4 or 5 times greater than the average persons.

Many people experience more than one depressive episode. Nearly 3 in 4 people with depression will experience a relapse at some point in their lives.

Some disorders, such as cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia, are caused by a single gene. But similar to other common genetic conditions like diabetes, depression is not caused by one gene.

Instead, depression is influenced by a complex interplay of genes, biological factors, and environmental causes.

So while depression does run in families, you dont simply inherit this mental health condition from your mom or dad. Your parents contribute certain combinations of genes that can make you more likely to develop the illness.

Other factors such as trauma, substance use, and family environment can also affect your odds.

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