| Lack of social support | Social support is a protective factor against depression. It is known that people who are isolated and have few friends or family members to speak with in times of stress are more likely to have depression. |
| Recent stressful life experience | Depression often comes, when people are going through stressful experiences that overwhelm their coping skills. |
| Previous history of depression | If you’ve had an episode of major depression before, you are at increased risk of having another episode. The probability of having reappearance increases with each major depressive episode. |
| Family history of depression | Your risk for depression is higher if depression runs in your family. Your risk is especially high if one of your close relatives, such as parent or sibling, has depression. |
| Lower socioeconomic status | Investigation has shown that low socioeconomic status is accompanied with increased rates of depression. People with lower levels of income, education, and occupational status experience many obstacles and stressors that likely contribute to this risk. |
| Underlying emotional or personality disorder | People with diffusive emotional difficulties or personality disorders are more likely to have depression. |
| Chronic medical condition | Ongoing medical problems or chronic pain can cause depression. |
| Female sex | Women are twice as likely to experience depression as men. |
| Advanced age | People over the age of 65 are more likely to experience depression. |
