Positive Family History Contributes to Intensity of Depression – 30-Year Longitudinal Study Suggests
July 14th, 2009
It’s long been suspected and suggested through quality research that a positive family history for a range of issues can point to an increase in the likelihood that such an issue will present itself. But this isn’t to say that people are “predestined” for feeling unwell or seeking treatment. Enforcing this idea and adding a new twist, a study performed over the course of thirty years in New Zealand has shown that while people with a family history of depression, anxiety, and alcohol & drug dependence, are not guaranteed to experience these conditions, they tend to suffer more intensely if and when they do; as compared to those who have no record of a particular condition in their family history.
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interesting, makes we wonder what the contributing factor to more suffering would be for folks with a family history… Nature or Nurture? genetics or Learning? The Psychological effect on someone who knows their family history alone could worsen one’s attitude and increase suffering. makes me wonder if the study took into account whether or not the subjects knew their family history or not…and other attitudinal measures. i’ll have to check it out. thanks for the fascinating headline.
I think the subjects would have to know their family history in order for the study to collect the data they needed to make the correlations. Unless of course they took the family history from a relative…which would have been a very good idea. Please let me know what you find out. Thanks.
One of my aunt’s died of schizophrenia not understood and left untreated more than 2 decades ago. It definitely left an impact on the family as my mother suffered from chronic depression because of taking care of her for 25 years. It impacted our lives as well and I dont think any of us has been able to keep relationships with people. Given that I wonder if there is a strong family history which plays a big part in mental well being.
Interesting info here. Although I do believe depression, alcohol and drug dependence may run higher is families with these problems, I also think that there are strong individuals whom faced with this in their families can overcome this and don’t have to end up like their families.
Really interesting to note. Is this definitely proven? There is a large prejudice about mental illnesses being hereditary. It can be very difficult for families to lead a normal life when word gets around the neighbourhood about a mental illness.
My ex father-in-law was schizophrenic and my husband was scared he would be too. He was obsessive about his own mental health and our children’s.
He wasn’t schizophrenic.
The prejudice Pam’s talking about isn’t always outwith the family. Is that harder or easier to deal with? I don’t know.
When you grow up seeing family members enduring such suffering it is easy to see why there are people who think that this will be their destiny as well. What else do they have to compare it to or anything that would make them think that their life will be different?
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