Jump to content

Choose locationChoose Location
  • Sign in or Enroll
    • Open I want to choose my medical group or hospital
    • Clear my location
Change Location
Sutter Health
  • Video Visits
  • Find Doctors
  • Find Locations
  • Treatments & Services
  • Locations
  • Sign in or Enroll
    • Video Visits
    • Find Doctors
    • Find Locations
    • Treatments & Services
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Monkeypox Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Symptom Checker
    • Get Care Today
    • Health & Wellness
    • Classes & Events
    • Research & Clinical Trials
    • For Patients
    • About Sutter Health
    • Giving
    • Volunteering
    • Careers
    • News
    • For Medical Professionals
    • Other Business Services
Close Search
  • Home
  • Ask an Expert
  • Depression and Heredity
Content

Ask An Expert

Depression and Heredity

Daniel Becker

Daniel Becker, M.D.

Mills-Peninsula Medical Group

Question:

My mother suffered from depression. Should I be worried that I, too, will develop depression as I age?

Answer:

Depression, like many chronic illnesses (such as diabetes or heart disease), tends to run in families. For most diseases with a heritable component, having a close family member with the illness does not necessarily mean that one will develop the illness oneself. Nonetheless, having a close family member with the disease often does confer an increased likelihood that one will develop the disease in question.

For example, women are generally felt to have a lifetime risk for major depressive disorder of 10 to 25 percent (with men having approximately half that lifetime risk). Individuals who have a first degree relative (parent, child, or sibling) with major depression are thought to be 1½ to 3 times more likely to develop this disorder themselves - which would bring the lifetime risk, for women, to somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 percent. While having a close relative with depression by no means ensures that one will develop depression, it clearly increases the likelihood.

As is the case for all chronic diseases, it is useful to know one's family history with regard to depression. This knowledge allows us to avoid additional risk factors (besides family history, which we cannot avoid), and helps us to become more vigilant with respect to early indications of disease onset.

With respect to additional risk factors, individuals with a family history of depression may wish to avoid excessive use of alcohol or exposure to psychoactive drugs - both of which activities are likely to increase the chance of developing clinical depression.

Individuals with a family history of depression should be especially attentive to periods of depressed mood and to other symptoms commonly associated with clinical depression (e.g., suicidal thinking, loss of interest in usual activities, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, loss of energy, inability to concentrate, appetite changes, or sleep disturbance). Those who notice such symptoms in themselves should consult their physician.

Chronic illnesses are, unfortunately, common. All of us have a family history for some of them. While this knowledge can be unsettling, it can also be empowering. Knowing your family history can help you to avoid risk factors that are within your control - and can also help you, in collaboration with your physician, to recognize and to treat illnesses more promptly. Diseases that are treated at an early stage can often be mitigated, such that they have a less severe course. This is true for depression as well: depression that is treated early is often less profound, and runs a shorter course, than depression treated at a later stage.

Related Questions

Question
  • Nervous Breakdown vs. Acute Mental Disorder
    What are the symptoms of a nervous breakdown? How does it differ from depression or anxiety?
  • Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids Addiction?
    Can you become addicted to over-the-counter sleep aids like Tylenol PM?
  • Alcohol Abuse vs. Alcohol Dependence
    I only drink a glass or two of wine a day, but I have a very hard time giving this up. Does that mean I'm an alcoholic?
  • Alcohol Consumption and Addiction
    Is drinking hard alcohol more likely to contribute to addiction than wine or beer?
  • Insomnia and Type 2 Bipolar Disorder
    I come from a long line of insomniacs who struggle to put together more than three hours of sleep at once. I've heard that chronic insomnia that runs in families can be an indicator of Type 2 Bipolar Depression. What are your thoughts?

Back to Mental Health

The Sutter Health Network of Care
Expertise to fit your needs
Primary Care

Check-ups, screenings and sick visits for adults and children.

Specialty Care

Expertise and advanced technologies in all areas of medicine.

Emergency Care

For serious accidents, injuries and conditions that require immediate medical care.

Urgent Care

After-hours, weekend and holiday services.

Walk-In Care

Convenient walk-in care clinics for your non-urgent health needs.

About Sutter

  • About Our Network
  • Annual Report
  • Awards
  • Community Benefit
  • Contact Us
  • News
  • Giving
  • Find Care

  • Birth Centers
  • Care Centers
  • Emergency Rooms
  • Hospitals
  • Imaging
  • Labs
  • Surgery Centers
  • Urgent Care
  • Walk-In Care
  • View All >
  • Featured Services

  • Behavioral Health
  • Cancer Services
  • Family Medicine
  • Home Health and Hospice
  • Orthopedics
  • Pediatrics
  • Pregnancy
  • Primary Care
  • Women's Health
  • View All >
  • Patient Resources

  • Accepted Health Plans
  • Classes and Events
  • Estimate Costs
  • Health and Wellness
  • Medical Records
  • Medicare Advantage
  • My Health Online
  • Pay a Bill
  • Symptom Checker
  • Our Team

  • For Employees
  • Physician Careers
  • Recruiting Events
  • Residencies and Fellowships
  • Sutter Careers
  • Vendors
  • Volunteers
    • ADA Accessibility
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

    • LinkedIn Opens new window
    • YouTube Opens new window
    • Facebook Opens new window
    • Twitter Opens new window
    • Glassdoor Opens new window
    • Instagram Opens new window

    Copyright © 2022 Sutter Health. All rights reserved. Sutter Health is a registered trademark of Sutter Health ®, Reg. U.S. Patent & Trademark office.

    Cookie Policy

    We use cookies to give you the best possible user experience. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences

    Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences