Depression is a serious health condition that is estimated to affect millions of people each year. The condition affects the person who is suffering and also family members, friends and employers. Effective treatments are available for depression that can improve your quality of life. No one is predestined to develop clinical depression, but those who are vulnerable can pay attention to warning signs and take steps to prevent the illness.
Family Situations
There are three different family situations that place you at higher risk for developing depression. The first is a past family history of depression. According to Psych Central, if you have an immediate family member with depression or other mental illnesses, such as alcoholism, or a family member who committed suicide, your risk of developing depression rises. Early childhood traumas, such as divorce, loss of a parent early in childhood and emotional or sexual abuse are all risk factors for developing depression as an adult. The third family situation is the marital relationship. According to Psych Central, the rates of depression are higher in groups of men and women who are divorced, separating or co-habitating but lower among groups who are single or happily married.
Alcohol and Medications
According to Aurora Health Care, specific categories of medications have been associated with people who suffer from depression. Those medications include pain relievers, sedatives, sleeping pills, cortisone drugs, seizure medications or medications used to treat certain heart problems, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. According to Psych Central, alcohol and tobacco are also risk factors for developing depression. Alcohol is a depressive drug that is often used by people who are also depressed. Using alcohol when you are being treated for depression has serious negative implications on the outcome of treatment. Tobacco may also exacerbate the symptoms of depression and mood disturbances when you attempt to quit.
Stress
According to Aurora Health Care, a stressful change can trigger a depressive event. These changes might be divorce, separation, financial loss, trauma or physical illness, such as cancer or the diagnosis of a chronic condition. Restrictive social support can also place enough stress on you to trigger depression, such as a mother home alone with young children or those who feel isolated with no supportive relationships. Being in a low socioeconomic group may increase financial stress, social isolation and greater daily stress that are all risk factors for depression.
Gender
According to All About Depression, women are two times as likely as men to be both diagnosed and treated for depression. Interestingly, the number of boys and girls who are diagnosed with depression are equal. The gender difference appears in adolescence and continues through the elderly population. There are several theories about why this happens. Women may be more likely to seek treatment or may be under more stress than men in a society where they are asked to take on several different roles. Men may be less likely to admit there is a problem, or women may suffer more because of the changes in hormone levels during their monthly menstrual cycles.
