http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/str...ession/MY01649

[Rohag]

Thanks, Byzantine!

Interesting: last year an analysis of 14 studies cast doubt on a genetic link in depression. Now, a new analysis of 56 studies finds a strong genetic relationship.

The bottom line is that this new analysis provides strong evidence that stress can trigger depression and that the onset of depression is far more likely in people who are genetically vulnerable to developing a mood disorder.

That's not the whole story, but headlines and initial paragraph summaries of scientific research in the popular press can be misleading.

[Perna]

I don't know how one can categorize people's stressful situations; one man's trash is another's treasure? Losing a job can be stressful but so can getting married, having a baby, and other "happy" events but there's a lot to be said for one's support network too. I've had a job for 8 years where they were sorry to see me go and I've been laid off and the sorry-to-see-me-go is better but coping with the lay off (I had been working a long time on saving money to quit in the first place) was not as stressful for me whether or not I have some genetic propensity toward depression or not, than it might have been for another person who had some genetic propensity toward depression or not. I think there's more there than meets the eye in "background experiences", habits/upbringing, etc. I don't think one thing or another will ever be "the" thing to "blame" depression on, I think it's an individual mix of factors, many of which will/could be always unknown.