Is Anxiety and Depression Genetic or Hereditary? The nature verse nurture debate
As a social worker who specialises in mood issues including anxiety and depression, one of the most common questions I get from my clients or friends or family is is anxiety hereditary? Genetic? How much of it runs in families? Which are all great questions. With some research showing that up to 50% of people will have a diagnosable anxiety or depression issue in their lifetime it is an important question to ask. it is an important question to ask.
Gene expression is like a light-switch being turned on
So let’s start with the study that I often mention to people, so they found the gene or the allele for depression and they put this gene into baby monkeys (sad I know). They then put these monkeys into several different environments, some with friends and family, some with lots of toys, some with lots of stimuli, and then some into environments that didn’t have these things. The only monkeys to develop depression with the ones that were put in environments that weren’t considered enriching environments, that is the environments that didn’t have love, safety, fun and comfort. This shows us that gene expression is like having a light switch in your house, just because it’s there doesn’t mean it has to come on - something in the environment switches it on.
Anxiety and Depression can run in families
This being said, it does not mean that there is no predisposition to anxiety and depression from your family, because we also know that anxious parents tend to raise anxious kids, absent minded parents tend to raise more depressed kids. Therefore, if a parent is anxious they it’s not unusual to pass on anxious behaviours and mindsets– imagine a parent constantly saying “don’t hurt yourself, don’t do that, don’t touch that, you’re going to fall, if you fall you can hurt yourself” etc. Same thing goes for a depressed parent , depression can be really hard , I can make every day tasks seem impossible . If a parent has depression it’s much harder for them to be present for their child, To be excited for them when they come through the door, to light up for their child. So when these children grow up, they are far more likely to have anxiety and depression. And in this way it can run in families, but not necessarily because of genetics.
What confuses the topic
What sometimes confuses this topic of anxiety and depression being hereditary or genetic is that other mental health conditions do have varying levels of genetic disposition. For example bipolar and autism have been shown to have a stronger genetic component. Just like some cancers have a stronger genetic component, where is lung cancer has a strong environmental component i.e. smoking.
What does contribute to developing anxiety and depression?
There are several factors that contribute to the development of depression and anxiety, and it’s worth noting at this point that if you asked 10 different health professionals, you will get 10 different answers. From gut health, to genes, to lifestyle - The truth is it’s complex and it’s probably a combination of all of these factors. As a social worker with a psychology background, the research and information that I have a use, Suggest that technological advances have sped up our lifestyles significantly and this has contributed in several ways to increasing anxiety and depression. We are less mindful in every day life. We are not as conscious about what we are eating and when we are eating it, we are working longer hours, we are seeing our friends and family face-to-face far less, we are interacting via social media and getting a skewed reality on life, we are getting too much information fed to us every single day for our brains to process, and all of these factors contribute to why we feel anxious and depressed because it’s not aligned with how human beings as a species are meant to live.
In summary, to answer the question, is anxiety and depression hereditary or genetic? It can be hereditary in that it runs in families, but not because of genetics but because of how we are being raised. When it comes to anxiety and depression we know that the environment is a much stronger predictor than genetics if you’re going to develop it. Our fast paced environment is not aligned with how human beings are meant to live and so we need to be able to slow down and connect to be able to live much happier and healthier lives.
If you’re someone who’s looking to reduce your levels of anxiety and depression, seeing a therapist and working through your lifestyle factors as well as your mindset and thought processes developed through life experiences, both consciously and unconsciously without your awareness- as well as working through any underlying trauma you may have experienced is a great place to start. Focusing on less technology, more human connection, more mindfulness and healthier habits are a key part of having habits for healthy mental health.
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