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What Causes Depression?

Family History and Genetics

Mental illnesses like depression and bipolar disorder seem to run in some families. [4] Research has shown that if you have parents or siblings who suffer from depression, you are three times more likely to have depression later in life. This could be due to genetics or environmental influence.

Every part of the brain is controlled by genes. There are multiple genes that affect a person’s mood. Efforts are being made to figure out which ones may be responsible for depression. Depression is quite complex, so it is unlikely that there is a single gene that causes it. Scientists believe, instead, that a number of small genes contribute to the problem. In 2011, a team of British scientists isolated a gene that seemed to run in many family members who have depression. [5] The study established a link between recurrent depression and the chromosome 3p25-26 observed in over 800 families.