Many people who suffer from depression are most concerned about whether their illness will be recovered soon, but another thing is whether depression is hereditary and whether it will be passed on to the next generation. Depression, also known as depressive disorder, is a psychological disorder, but it does carry a genetic risk and there are family clusters of depression. According to statistics, 35% of people with depression have a family history of the disorder. This is mainly associated with a long-term fear of social activities, silence and over-sensitivity to things, which in the long run will affect the mood and personality of children. The children may have acquired the disorder in their environment, or they may have inherited it. It has been reported that the incidence of depression in people with depression in the family is 2-10 times higher than in people without depressed relatives. If a parent suffers from depression, the incidence of the disease in their children is also significantly higher, and the closer the blood relationship, the higher their prevalence. One study found that the risk of depression in first-degree relatives (parents, biological siblings, and children) was three times higher than in the general population, and a large Swedish twin study also showed a heritability of depression of about 37%, suggesting a close relationship between depression and genetics. Although depression is genetically related, it is also closely related to the acquired environment and self-personality traits, and is the result of interaction. We cannot change the genetic predisposition, but we can change the external environmental factors appropriately. If you find that you or someone around you is depressed, you must actively go to the hospital for early detection and treatment. So how can you tell if you are suffering from depression? There are two core symptoms of depression: one is persistent low mood, prolonged sadness and moping; the other is a persistent decline or lack of interest, or loss of pleasure. If one of these symptoms occurs in yourself or someone close to you, the possibility of depression should be considered, especially if this symptom persists for more than 2 weeks without relief, it must be taken seriously. References: [1] Luo Aihua. Those things about depression [J]. Oriental Medicine. 2020,8: 254[2] Zhang Jun, Fan Jiaxuan, et al. Is depression a bad mood[J]. Health Expo. 2020,2: 8-10[3] Tan Jiang. Depression is about depression[J]. Science of Health. 2022,8:95