Thursday, November 30, 2023

Is there a genetic factor in depression


 Depression and depression-related disorders (DD) are some of the most common and studied mental illnesses. An individual with depression or a DD can experience a wide range of symptoms, from disinterest in hobbies to suicidal thoughts. Depression often affects an individual beginning in adolescence and can last a lifetime. Medications are available for people who struggle with depression. Depression can also have many causes such as a hormonal imbalance or trauma. 

In 2018 physiologists and geneticists attempted to discover a clear genetic link to depression. They analyzed the genome of individuals with depression and DD who also had a familial history of the condition. Through their analysis, they were unable to determine a clear link. I chose to highlight this study because it shows that there is still a lot more for us to discover related to depression and its heritability. 

4 comments:

  1. This is a interesting topic that still requires research to learn about because depression takes a toll and effects a majority of people's lives. So if there were more understanding of how it occurs and if it is in fact a genetic factor, this could be worth investigating further.

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  2. Depression is a very common mental disorder and like you mentioned in your post, it can lead to many symptoms and many thoughts, even thoughts like suicide. I'm glad that scientists and researchers are shining light to this disorder, even though the outcome wasn't what they hoped to expect. Doing so, they remind other researchers and scientists that depression is still not yet fully understood and it's just a reminder to keep on looking.

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  3. I think this is a really important topic that definitely needs more research. I also did a post on this topic and while it's not completely certain that genes can directly be the reason for depression in the study they performed they found that most people who suffered from this shared certain common genes. I think with the proper research we can come to more findings in the future and have some preventative mental health care.

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  4. I would say this is an important topic to understand, Research has shown that individuals with a family history of depression are more likely to develop the condition themselves. I know certain genes and variations in them have been associated with an increased risk of depression. however, it's essential to remember that genetics is just one piece of the puzzle. because Depression is a severe thing that is affecting many people. I know that environmental factors, life experiences, and individual differences also contribute to the development of depression,

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