Is Depression Hereditary?

Is Depression Hereditary?

If you have had repeated episodes of depressive illness, there is a ninety percent chance EACH of your children will NOT have the same illness.  Each child has a ten per cent possibility of having the illness.

It is important to keep the reality in mind of the dramatically higher likelihood your child will not get depressive illness.  Very few people would bet money on a horse where the chances of that horse winning was only one in ten!

Our children inherit a wide range of genes from us and our whole genetic makeup comes as a package deal, with a mixture of good, average and bad genes.  A child born with genes which may make him or her susceptible to depression may also have picked up genes which make him or her more intelligent, less susceptible to cancer, less susceptible to Alzheimer’s Disease, etcetera.

Important Disclaimer:  This site is medical information only and is not to be taken as diagnosis, advice or treatment, which can only be decided by your own doctor.