Depression is a clinical mental health condition that affects the mood and capacity to function normally in daily situations. People with depression have common signs and symptoms such as feeling down, sad, or hopeless for no reason. Other associated problems have difficulty concentrating, eating too much or not eating enough, and trouble sleeping.
The depression gene was first discovered way back in the 1970s. Although the main focus of this discovery was the evolution of animals, there’s a possibility it could also affect humans. It has been linked to Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other similar disorders.
Everyone is not immune to depression. Click here to know how some famous people also suffered from depression. Now, suppose your parent or relative suffered from depression. In that case, you might feel uneasy thinking that you might develop it as well. Or worst, you may feel frightened about passing on the same condition to your child through heredity. In any case, you might be wondering: Is depression a hereditary condition?
Here are some of the scientific and medical claims about depression and its relation to genetics:
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Role Of Genetics In Depression
Scientists have conducted several studies aiming to discover the role of genetics in depression. Still, most studies have failed to produce conclusive results. Recent research has indicated that genetic factors may play a significant role in affective disorder, leading to significant depression. They found that depressive disorders run in families.
Research on the genetics of depression was performed using twins. Although identical twins share 100% of their genetic makeup, fraternal twins (and non-twin siblings) share 50% of their genetic makeup. Researchers worldwide have discovered that 76% of the time when one identical twin is depressed, the other twin would also be depressed. However, when fraternal pairs are involved, the twin of a depressed person suffers depression 19% of the time.
Additionally, research investigating twins raised in separate homes has bolstered the support for a genetic component of depression (and not just social learning). When one of the identical twins raised in a different home experiences depression, the other twin experiences the same 67% of the time.
However, the research pointed out that the results obtained from twin studies are consistent with the genetic factor. This factor accounts for about eighty percent of cases of depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and co-morbidity. The pattern also indicated that the environmental variable was more important than the genes when it comes to the severity of the condition. Therefore, if this factor is ignored and not dealt with, the chances of finding effective treatments for major depression are greatly reduced.
Relationship Between Genes, Environment, And Behavior
Scientists are still looking for answers as to why and how depression comes about, with a particular interest in understanding the relationship between genes, the environment, and behavior.
For example, a study by the Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, suggests that depression results from reduced serotonin levels, a chemical in our brain that regulates mood.
Gene Ecology studies and depression also appear to be closely connected. For example, the research on gene ecology found a reduction of three genes related to serotonin in depressed people. The studies involve animals, but the connection between the two seems more evident in humans than in any other animal species studied by far.
A theory on why depression happens to some and not to others purports that stress, whether from illness or environmental factors, affects the production of certain hormones in the brain that regulate mood. Gene Ecology researchers theorize that if these hormones are altered somehow, the person suffering from depression will have trouble sleeping, eating, and developing other physical or mental health problems.
To support the claim, another study by George Fanciato at the University of Toledo in Ohio, who led earlier research on the connection between depression and the human immune system, agrees with the gene ecology hypothesis.
Gene Ecology studies on depression are complicated because there’s no way to determine how much of a person’s genetic makeup contributes to his or her state of mood. In other words, researchers can’t determine the main causes of depression and how they can increase or reduce depression in a particular person.
On Depression And Genetic Differences
Some researchers think that genetic differences exist between people and that these differences affect the development of depression, which helps explain the seeming lack of connection between environmental factors and depression. Depression and its treatment also vary between people of different cultures and locations. Various therapies for depression have produced different rates of success.
Scientists have also looked at whether depression is genetic or environmental, and they’ve come to certain conclusions. The conclusion that seems to dominate the scientific research is that environmental factors don’t play a significant role in causing major depressive disorders.
Instead, it appears that genetic differences do cause these disorders. For example, when looking at twins, identical twins, and triplets, scientists haven’t found a great deal of difference in depression symptoms between any of these groups. So, environmental factors don’t appear to be significant contributors to depression.
Although environmental factors play a role in the onset of depression, much of this has been proven to result from other mental health problems, such as anxiety and stress. Simply put, depression is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors and not by just one.
Conclusion
Depression genetics is a mystery that’s likely to continue to confound researchers for years to come. However, it would be best to remember that depression is a severe medical condition that can be treated and even cured with the proper medication and therapy. So, the question of whether depression is genetic or hereditary is not an easy one to answer.
If you’re experiencing any symptoms of depression or know someone who is, you need to take care of the situation and get help. Whether you believe that depression genes exist is irrelevant. Being aware that you need treatment and acting on such needs are crucial. Treatment of depressive disorders is one of the most effective ways to prevent and counter depression from progressing any further into something more serious.
