Genetic Explanation of Unipolar Depression Flashcards
What does the genetic explanation of depression suggest?
There is evidence to suggest that if someone in your family has been diagnosed with depression then there is a higher risk that you will be diagnosed with depression.
Who did a study that supports the genetic explanation of depression?
Hyde et al (2016)
Found that 17 different gene variations were linked to developing depression.
This means that there are many different possible combinations of genes a person could inherit that would lead to depression, which makes identifying the people at risk a challenge.
What kind of studies are useful for looking at the influence of genes?
Twin studies
What is another name for identical twins?
Monozygotic - they share 100% of the same genes.
What is another name for non-identical twins?
Dizygotic - they share 50% of their genes.
Who did a study and found that if one MZ twin became depressed, there was a 46% chance that their co-twin would. However, only 20% chance in DZ twins.
McGuffin et al (1996)
Supporting evidence for the genetic explanation.
What is the diathesis-stress model?
Some people may have a genetic predisposition to become depressed but they may only go on to become depressed if they are put into a stressful situation that triggers the gene.
What is a strength of the genetic explanation of depression?
It can take away the stigma of being diagnosed with depression.
If becoming depressed is in your genes, people cannot blame you for being depressed.
This means that society may be more accepting of people with mental health disorders such as depression.
Another strength of the genetic explanation is that lots of research evidence supports the theory. Who provided the evidence that some people are more prone to depression than others?
Caspi et al (2003)
Found that people with a variation of the serotonin transporter gene were more likely to react negatively to stressful life events.
