What Is Depression?
2. Risk Factors
As previously mentioned, the risk of MDD increases when there is a first-degree relative with depression, presence of chronic pain, existing medical illness, psychosocial stress, impaired social support, loneliness, caregiver burden, bereavement, and the occurrence of negative life events.
Those with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, macular degeneration, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and seizure disorders have also been associated with a higher risk of depression. Alternatively, one study found that depression in early life increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. There are also studies that have reported depression due to poor parent-child interaction. This was observed when adults with depression reported that they had high maternal overprotection and low paternal involvement.
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