Tell Me More About Depression.
7. Can you inherit depression?
About 15% to 20% of people with a family history of depression, develop depression. However, there does not appear to be a single gene for depression, and environmental factors at different stages of life may alter the expression of genes.
Early research suggests that genes account for about 50% of the risk in developing depression. But neither nature (genes) nor nurture (life experiences) alone account for depression. It’s both.
Researchers are coming closer to identifying genes that code for biological factors important in depression.
References:
Eley TC, Sugden K, Corsico A, Gregory AM, Sham P, McGuffin P, Plomin R, Craig IW. Gene-environment interaction analysis of serotonin system markers with adolescent depression. Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Oct;9(10):908-915.
Melke J. Serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and mental health. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2003;16:215-220. |
