Which of the following is not a factor associated with increased risk for developing depression

Q: Does Alzheimers cause depression?

Depression is very common among people with Alzheimers, especially during the early and middle stages. Treatment is available and can make a significant difference in quality of life.

In 2015, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimated that 16.1 million American adults suffered from a major depressive episode. Although depression can affect anyone, certain factors may increase your likelihood of developing the disorder.

Biochemical factors

Depression is a type of mood disorder that some believe is triggered when neurotransmitters in the brain are out of balance. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that help the brain communicate with other parts of the body. These chemicals help regulate many physiological functions.

Low levels of neurotransmitters may play a role in why some people are more susceptible to depression, including the neurotransmitters:

serotonin
norepinephrine
dopamine

Genetic factors

Having an immediate family member with depression or a mood disorder can increase your risk for depression. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) states that if one identical twin is diagnosed with depression, the other twin has a 70 percent chance of developing it.

However, depression can occur in people with no family history, which is why some scientists believe it can be a product of both genes and life experiences.

Sleep disorders

Chronic sleep problems are associated with depression. Although experts don’t know if a lack of sleep causes depression, bouts of low mood do seem to follow periods of poor sleep.

Serious illness

The pain and stress that come with certain conditions can take a toll on a person’s mental state. Many chronic conditions are linked to higher rates of depression, including:

chronic pain
arthritis
heart disease
diabetes
thyroid disease
stroke
cancer
multiple sclerosis
Alzheimer’s disease
dementia
Parkinson’s disease
Huntington’s disease

Abuse

People who were neglected or abused as children have a high risk for major depression. Such negative experiences can cause other mental disorders as well.

Gender

Women are twice as likely to have depression as men, but this may be due to the fact that more women seek treatment for their symptoms than men. Some believe depression can be caused by hormonal changes throughout life. Women are particularly vulnerable to depression during pregnancy and after childbirth, which is called postpartum depression, as well as during menopause.

Prolonged social isolation and having few friends or supportive relationships is a common source of depression. Feelings of exclusion or loneliness can bring on an episode in people who are prone to mood disorders.

Major life events

Even happy events, such as having a baby or landing a new job, can increase a person’s risk for depression. Other life events linked to depression include:

losing a job
buying a house
getting a divorce
moving
retiring

The death of a loved one is certainly a major life event. Great sadness is a major part of the grieving process. Some people will feel better in a matter of months, but others experience more serious, long-term periods of depression. If your grieving symptoms last more than two months, you should see your doctor to be evaluated for depression.

Substance abuse

In many cases, substance abuse and depression go hand-in-hand. Drugs and alcohol may lead to chemical changes in the brain that raise the risk for depression. Self-medication with drugs and alcohol can also lead to depression.

Medications

Certain medications have been linked to depression, including:

blood pressure medication
sleeping pills
sedatives
steroids
prescription painkillers

If you are taking any such medications, speak to your doctor about your concerns. Never stop taking a medication without first consulting your physician.

If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, it’s normal to want to know what has caused it. The truth is that depression is a complex medical condition that still isn’t completely understood. The good news is that depression is highly treatable, and there are many sources of help and support in dealing with the condition.

Read more: How can I get help for depression?

A risk factor is something that increases your chances of developing a disease or condition. For example, smoking is a risk factor for heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

When it comes to depression, several factors may play a role, including a variety of genetic, psychological, and environmental contributors.

Several factors can make depression more likely. These may include:

family history and genetics
chronic stress
history of trauma
gender
poor nutrition
unresolved grief or loss
personality traits
medication and substance use

Do risk factors differ for different types of depression?

There are various types of depression, including:

major depressive disorder (MDD)
seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
persistent depressive disorder (PDD)
postpartum depression

Do all of these types of depression have different causes? The short answer is no.

Most cases of depression are the result of various risk factors coming together, rather than just a single cause. Plus, certain factors may weigh more heavily on different people. For example, stress may play more of a role in one person, while poor diet may significantly affect others.

In other words, depression is a complex disorder with multiple factors weighing in.

Overall, a large majority of the risk factors discussed below can contribute to most types of depression to varying degrees.

Family history and genetics

Genetics are known to play a significant role in depression. If you have a close family member, such as a parent or sibling with depression, you have a 2 to 3 times greater risk of developing depression than a person without a family history.

One way researchers know this is through twin studies. Identical twins share 100% of their genes, while fraternal twins share 50% of their genes. So if genes play a role in depression, we would expect that if one twin has depression, an identical twin would have a much higher chance of having it than a non-identical twin.

Through studies like this, researchers have found that heritability for major depression may be as high as 40–50%.

Chronic stress

While a little stress can be a good thing — as it can keep us motivated — chronic stress can wear down the body’s healthy stress response, leading to depression in some people.

Long-term stress results in overactivity of the brain’s HPA axis, which refers to the interaction between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. The HPA axis plays a vital role in how our body handles stress.

When the HPA is overactive, it results in the release of too much epinephrine (an adrenal hormone involved in the fight, flight, or freeze response) and cortisol, the body’s “stress hormone,” which can cause all kinds of health problems, including depression.

Research shows that dysfunction of the HPA axis is seen in about 70% of people with depression.

History of trauma

Individuals with a history of trauma and abuse, particularly during early childhood, may be at greater risk of developing depression. Those who’ve experienced childhood trauma also seem to be more likely to experience treatment-resistant depression in adulthood.

One study found that adults with MDD had experienced significantly more childhood trauma than adults without depression. Specifically, 62.5% of the participants with MDD reported more than 2 traumatic events, compared with 28.4% of participants in the healthy control group.

Those with MDD had much higher rates of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse than those without MDD. They also had experienced much more neglect, bullying, or rejection, and had witnessed more domestic violence.

The study also showed that people with a history of childhood trauma before the age of 7 — including sexual, physical, or emotional abuse — didn’t respond as well to antidepressant treatments.

Racial trauma may also put a person at a higher chance of depression — this may affect adults and adolescents alike.

Gender

Being female may increase your chances of developing depression. In fact, major depression is the leading cause of disease burden in women around the world.

Women are twice as likely as men to experience major depression. They also have higher rates of:

depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder
persistent depressive disorder
seasonal affective disorder

Around 1 in 8 women will experience depression in their lifetime.

There are a few theories as to why this is the case. Women report experiencing more stress and higher rates of trauma (both risk factors for depression) than men.

Female hormones, such as estrogen, may also play a role. Gender differences in depression rates emerge in puberty, with girls reporting more depression starting in their preteen years. Women are also vulnerable to depression after childbirth and during menstruation, when hormones are more prone to fluctuation.

Besides women, research also shows that people who are transgender or nonbinary are more likely to experience depression — which may be due to various factors, including abuse, discrimination, and gender minority stress.

Poor nutrition

Eating a nutritious diet is important for brain function. When we don’t get the necessary nutrients our body needs, we’re at greater risk of developing physical and mental health problems.

Research suggests that eating a lot of processed foods may increase someone’s risk of depression. Similarly, consuming too many simple carbs is linked to symptoms of depression, especially in women.

Studies have also found that people with depression may be more likely to have low blood levels of:

vitamin B9 (folate / folic acid)
vitamin B12
vitamin D
zinc
copper
manganese

So eating foods rich in these nutrients or taking a supplement may help ease depression symptoms.

One group of nutrients considered to be a protective factor against depression is omega-3 fatty acids, found for example in fatty fish, algae, walnuts, and chia seeds.

Evidence suggests that people who usually consume a diet rich in omega-3-fatty acids are at lower risk of developing:

major depression
prenatal depression
bipolar depression

Other research suggests that diets rich in antioxidants may help reduce symptoms of depression. Plus, evidence indicates that magnesium may be helpful for people with mild to moderate depression.

Unresolved grief or loss

Grieving the loss of a loved one is a natural part of the human experience, and recovering from such a loss takes time.

In a natural bereavement process, the intense feelings of emptiness and sadness typically start to decrease over time. But in some cases, due to a variety of factors, healing becomes more difficult. This unresolved or “complicated” grief can lead to depression in some people.

About 1 in 10 bereaved adults experience prolonged grief. For some, this can lead to grief-related major depression.

Personality traits

Can your personality make you more susceptible to depression? Some research suggests it can.

One study found that the following personality traits are linked to depressive symptoms:

high neuroticism
high harm avoidance
low self-directedness
low cooperativeness

Another analysis also found that people with depression scored higher in neuroticism but lower in extraversion and conscientiousness. This study was based on the “Big Five” personality traits. What the study results mean is that a person with depression may be more likely to:

feel vulnerable or insecure
get stressed more easily
experience mood episodes
find it difficult to make small talk or introduce themselves
feel drained after socializing
avoid big groups
be more reserved
be less organized
be impulsive
finish things at the last minute

Medication and substance use

In most cases, people use substances or alcohol in an effort to feel better. But sometimes the substance can have the opposite effect, making the person feel worse.

When substances — including prescribed medications — lead to depressive symptoms, it’s known as substance-induced depression. This may occur when you actively use a substance, or when you experience intoxication or withdrawal.

Studies suggest that nearly half of these depressive episodes occur through heavy alcohol use. Other substances commonly associated with substance-induced depression include cocaine and opioids, particularly heroin.

Medications more commonly associated with substance-induced depression include:

interferons (medications that attack viruses and cancer cells)
corticosteroids (medications that reduce inflammation)
digoxin (used to treat heart failure)
antiepileptic medications

Researchers suggest that these substances alter neurotransmitter communication in important brain circuits.

Some symptoms of depression include:

low mood most of the day
reduced interest or pleasure in activities
notable weight loss or gain without trying; decrease or increase in appetite
fatigue or low energy
sleep disturbances: insomnia or sleeping too much
recurrent thoughts of suicide or death
feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
poor concentration
slowing down of thoughts or physical movements; agitation or restlessness

If you experience any of these symptoms for a period of several weeks, it might be time to seek help. Consider reaching out to a healthcare professional, therapist, or a depression hotline.

Even if you have a few risk factors, it doesn’t mean you will definitely develop depression. But it’s always a good idea to do what you can to protect yourself when it’s in your power to do so.

While we have no control over some risk factors, like genetics or childhood trauma, we can control other contributors such as diet and alcohol use.

It also helps to develop stress-coping skills — such as meditation and exercise — to help reduce the chance of depression through chronic stress.

If you do develop depression, just know that it’s highly treatable and there are many supportive services available to help.

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Does Alzheimer's cause depression?

Depression is very common among people with Alzheimer's, especially during the early and middle stages. Treatment is available and can make a significant difference in quality of life.

What type of dementia is caused by depression?

Pseudodementia is a condition that appears similar to dementia but does not have its root in neurological degeneration. Some people call the condition depressive pseudodementia, as the symptoms often stem from mood-related conditions such as depression.

Can depression cause symptoms of dementia?

Depression, nutritional deficiencies, side-effects from medications and emotional distress can all produce symptoms that can be mistaken as early signs of dementia, such as communication and memory difficulties and behavioural changes.