August 31st, 2009

Did you know that depression is genetic, having one drepressed family member affects the whole family, and that some therapists now say that treatment works best if the whole family is involved?

Reports NPR:

Genetics researchers have yet to pinpoint a specific gene or genes for depression. But researchers do know that people with depression in their family are more vulnerable to the condition. This is most likely due to both genetic factors — and the struggle of having a depressed family member. As scientists work to figure out the genetics of the illness, families and therapists are figuring out ways to cope.

Untreated depression can be “a family calamity,” says Dr. William Beardslee, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and longstanding researcher of the effects of severe parental mental illness on children. Nearly 16 million children under the age of 18 are living with an adult who had a bout of major depression in the last year, according to a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences.

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All scientists can say for sure is that depression in the family increases the risk of any one individual member. According to the National Academy of Sciences report, 2 to 4 percent of young children with a parent who has depression will have depression themselves. As many as four in 10 adolescent children of depressed parents will have depression. And, children of depressed parents are more likely to be substance abusers.

So genes do matter, and having a depressed parent also matters, and that’s why researchers are developing new strategies for families.

Genetics can be an indication of vulnerability, says Beardslee. It may take an environmental problem like a divorce or an experience of violence or poverty to spark depression. And sometimes, parents’ problems can make their children more likely to develop depression.

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Getting the right kind of professional help can be challenging, though money isn’t always the obstacle you might think. Most health insurance policies that cover mental illness include family therapy, says Julie Totten, head of Families for Depression Awareness.

But a problem she does see is that doctors often only treat the patient, not the family.

Find out more at NPR.