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Crisis Count Down
Watching your marriage crumble or getting the ax at work is bad enough. But
there's also the
potential for nasty psychological fallout--your risk of depression soars after a
stressful
experience.
Hoping to sort out the interplay of genes and the environment in depression,
researchers at
the Medical College of Virginia studied more than a thousand pairs of female
twins. While they
found evidence for genetic susceptibility, stressful life events posed a far
greater danger.
Here's how the likelihood of depression rises following common traumatic
incidents.
Event Increase in Risk of Depression
| Death of close relative |
1,500% |
| Assault |
1,400 |
| Serious marital problem |
1,130 |
| Divorce/breakup |
1,130 |
Serious trouble getting along
with close relative |
740 |
| Job loss |
580 |
| Serious illness of close relative |
390 |
| Loss of confidante |
390 |
| Serious illness |
330 |
| Major financial problem |
150 |
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