Risk factors for Depression

Risk factors include:

• Sex: female
• Age: elderly
• Chronic physical or mental illness, including thyroid disease, headaches, chronic pain, and stroke
• Previous episode of depression
• Major life changes or stressful life events (eg, bereavement, trauma)
• Postpartum depression
• Winter season for seasonal affective disorder
• Little or no social support
• Low self-esteem
• Lack of personal control over circumstances
• Family history of depression (parent or sibling)
• Feelings of helplessness
• Certain medications, including medications used to treat asthma , high blood pressure , arthritis, high cholesterol , and heart problems
• Smoking
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Personality disorders
• Hypothyroidism