Depression

What are the risk factors for depression?

The following are a number of risk factors associated with increased rates of depression:

Female Gender. The higher rate of depressive symptoms in women compared to men is one of the strongest findings in depression research. The ratio of 2 : 1 for both mild-to-moderate depression and major depression is commonly accepted. During their lifetimes, 20% (1-in-5) women will be diagnosed with depression compared to 10% (1-in-10) men.

Family History. Research has indicated a strong genetic contribution to depression, which is more common in people born to parents with depression and in people whose twins or siblings are diagnosed with depression.

Poor Mental Health. People with long-term mild-to-moderate depression are more likely to experience episodes of major depression. This condition is defined as double depression. Furthermore, there is a strong tendency for people with a diagnosis of depression to be diagnosed with other co-occurring psychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorder.

Poor Physical Health. High rates of depression are related to poor health in general and to having a co-occurring general (i.e., other than psychiatric) medical condition. As examples, depression is commonly diagnosed in people who are concurrently diagnosed with stroke, coronary heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Marital Status. People who are divorced or separated show higher rates of depressive symptoms compared to people who are married or single and never been married.

Substance Use or Abuse. Substance abuse frequently co-occurs with major depression. The prevalence of dual diagnoses (mild-to-moderate depression and substance abuse) is approximately 18%.

To learn more about the risk factors for depression, go to risk factors for depression.