• This duo introduced the concept of 'vulnerability factors'. They propose that these, combined with stressors, may raise the risk of depression.
• Their study involved 458 women from London. They found four key vulnerability factors that, with social stressors, might spur depression:
  • Having three or more kids under 14
  • Lack of a romantic relationship
  • Unemployment
  • Losing a mother before turning 11

Real-world example 🌍: If a woman loses her job (stressor) and has no partner (vulnerability factor), she might be more likely to develop depression.

Key Takeaway 📝: It's not just personal stuff, but social factors too, that play a role in depression. But hey, let's remember this study was focused on women, so we can't be sure it's the same for men.

• Further studies back up the idea of these social vulnerability factors being linked with depressive episodes. In fact, Patten (1991) found that lacking an intimate relationship amplified the risk of depression by 3.7 times, while each of the other three factors merely doubled the risk.

Real-world example 🌍: That's like saying smoking (a well-known risk factor) increases the chances of developing heart disease (atherosclerosis), just like these vulnerability factors increase the chances of developing depression.

• The concept: Can depressive symptoms spread from person to person through social connections, like a contagious disease?
• The question is, why do friends often share depression? Three possibilities:
  • One friend's depression triggers depression in others.
  • Depressed people find each other and become friends.
  • Friends experience similar life situations, explaining the shared symptoms.

Real-world example 🌍: It's like asking why you and your friends all like the same pizza topping. Is it because you influence each other's tastes, or you became friends because of your shared love for pepperoni?

• The researchers used data from the Framingham Heart Study, a long-term investigation on heart disease risks. They found significant correlations in depressive symptoms between people up to three 'degrees of separation'.

Real-world example 🌍: It's a bit like that game 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon'. But instead of linking actors through film roles, it's about how your friend's friend's friend's mood might influence yours.

• They found changes in social ties could predict changes in depressive symptoms. But the opposite wasn't true: becoming depressed didn't mean you'd make new friends.