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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Could my children have gotten some of their father's depressive genes?

    Related Topics
    Depression Mental Health
    I have 4 children, 1 with cerebral palsy (son 22), 1 that suffers from anxiety (daughter 27)and another that seems at time disconnected from society (son 23) and the last seems quite balanced and outgoing (son 25. I personally am a very happy, confident and outgoing person. Their father has a family history of depression and alcoholism but no real medical confirmation.

    Is is possible that some of the children could carry some of these depressive genes. their father and i parted almost 20 years ago. all the children come across to others as quite happy people, but it seems behind closed doors they are very sad, and do not want to join into society. My daughter tells me that she puts on a happy face for everyone on her rare outings and my son does not disclose anything but i can see that at times he is very withdrawn. My son with cerebral palsy was very unhappy until he went on medication at the age of 18 (Zoloft)he is a changed person now - any thoughts on the above
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  • Dr Simon Easterbrook-Smith

    Health Professional

    My research interests include immunology and the mechanisms of amyloid formation. The latter has implications for people who are dealing with Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease … View Profile

    This is a hard question which I will try to answer in a combination of my “official” (Academic Professional) label here as well as in my private role as a member who is in remission from depression.

    There are no known major genetic risk factors for mental illnesses in general. Probably different variants (technically, alleles) of many genes *may* be risk factors.

    But, and this is *really* important, genetics is not destiny (“OMG, it is in my genes, I am doomed.” is wrong).

    In the case of your children, their father's genetic contribution *may* have increased their risk. But (the way in which your son with CP has responded to Zoloft is a case in point), therapy (meds and/or other forms) can completely prevent those (possible) genetic risks from being important.

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