Risk factors for depression
Risk factors are characteristics or circumstances that increase the likelihood of developing depression — but don't guarantee it will occur. Depression results from the interaction of biological and psychological vulnerability with environmental factors (the biopsychosocial model).
Main risk factors: a family history of depression (heritability of 30–40%); being female (depression is roughly twice as common in women — though men present with it more often in a masked form); adverse childhood experiences (abuse, neglect, early loss); chronic stress or negative life events; chronic illness (hypothyroidism, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain); substance use or withdrawal; social isolation; high perfectionism and self-criticism; and previous depressive episodes (each episode raises the risk of the next).
Knowing your own risk factors allows for preventive intervention and early monitoring of symptoms.
Practical example
When starting preventive therapy, Ana realized she had several risk factors: a family history of depression, a difficult childhood, and a tendency toward perfectionism. She wasn't in an episode, but working on these factors preventively — especially her self-criticism — would reduce the chance of a future episode.
Put this knowledge into practice
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