Despite being one of the most common disorders in the world, there are still key factors that are uncertain regarding the disorder. For instance, the exact cause for the condition is still unknown. While concrete evidence has been found to suggest links with certain elements, there is still no specific aspect to suggest the reason as to why it may be triggered in a person. The most prominent link with the condition is the neurotransmitter serotonin. Most treatments focus on stimulating production or increasing levels of the brain chemical and has shown to be very effective thus far. Despite increased levels being instrumental in alleviating symptoms associated with the condition, what’s baffling is that there are individuals with relatively low levels of the neurotransmitter who function normally without any adverse mental effects characterized by depression.
Other links with the malady are eventually connected to the neurotransmitter suggesting that it is the most significant element that governs the possibility of developing depression. Besides this, another factor is genetics. Hereditary depression tends to occur quite commonly however there is no conclusive research to suggest the possibility of this occurring. It is a known fact that depression tends to run in families but there is no evidence to suggest how it may be passed on to a child. So the question remains, is depression hereditary?
There could be various explanations to explain a depression hereditary link. As it is a mental disorder, it may be induced to a child who grows up in a family, particularly around parents who tend to be depressed. Plenty of character traits pass on by simply observation and living with a particular person alone. The quality of becoming constantly angry for instance, may be passed on this way. This is one example to suggest a depression hereditary link. The other explanation of course is a genetic markup that decides the possibility of developing it like various other diseases.
Clinical depression and other common variants may or may not be passed on genetically as there are numerous other causes. Other disorders like manic depression for instance or bipolar disorder is almost always diagnosed in a person who has a family history with the disorder. So is manic depression hereditary? Considering a family history almost always exists, it most likely does even though there is no tangible evidence showing a link.The same could be true for ordinary depression as well.