Who's at Risk for Depression?
Depression can affect anyone at any time. While certain risk factors are linked with a greater risk, people suffering from depression may simultaneously have symptoms of different types of depression. They may even display different signs and symptoms depending on their gender, age and ethnic and cultural group. Understanding these differences is essential to getting effective treatment.
Risk factors
Several factors are associated with an increased risk for depression:
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Family history. Having an immediate family member with depression increases a person’s risk of developing depression. Other mental illnesses, such as alcoholism, in family members also can increase the risk for depression.
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Early childhood experience. Early childhood trauma can result in depression. These traumas include loss of a parent before adolescence, child neglect or physical, emotional or sexual abuse.
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Stress. Negative life events—such as divorce, loss of a loved one or job loss—are associated with increased depression. Research shows that chronic stresses also are linked to depression. These include illness, lack of social support and numerous "daily hassles."
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Alcohol. Depression and alcoholism often occur in the same people at the same time. The presence of alcohol, a depressant, in a depressed person can harm recovery.
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Residence. Depression rates seem to be higher in people who live in cities than in people who live in rural areas. In fact, one study found that depression was twice as common.
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Marital status. Depression is highest among divorced or separated people or those who are living together. It is lowest among single and married persons. People living alone have higher rates of depression than those living with others.
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Work status. Research shows that people unemployed for six months or more in the previous five years had a three times greater rate of depression than the general population.
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Physical illness. Certain physical illnesses are associated with depression. These include thyroid disorder, hormonal imbalances, chronic viral infections, cancer and heart disease.
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Medications. Many medications can cause depression-like symptoms. These include sedatives such as Valium® (diazepam) and pain medications such as Percocet® and Demerol® (meperidine).
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Gender. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that one out of every four women and one out of every 10 men have depression during their lifetime. And while women attempt suicide more frequently, men are more successful in their suicide attempts. Women also suffer from unique forms of depression.
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Age. Most people have their first episode of depression between ages 20 and 40. In fact, the average age is in the mid-20s. Alarmingly, the average age of onset is decreasing with each generation. Children, teens and elderly persons often have unique symptoms of depression and specific stressful events that predispose them to depression.
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Ethnic and cultural groups. The World Health Organization named depression the fourth most devastating illness in the world today and predicts that it will become the second-ranked illness by 2020. No ethnic or cultural group is immune. Depression occurs at about the same rate in different groups. Ethnic and cultural differences, however, often impact the ways members express their feelings and their willingness to seek treatment.
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Tobacco. Increased tobacco use has been noted in depressed persons. Also, individuals with underlying or current depressive symptoms are likely to have mood disturbances when they try to quit. Learn more about smoking and depression.
By Josepha Cheong, MD; Michael Herkov, PhD; Wayne Goodman, MD
©1999-2010 University of Florida Brain Institute
Resource from ValueOptions.
