Job Bias . About a quarter of these professionals felt that formerly depressed people couldn't even handle clerical or manual jobs. This strong bias against psychiatric disorders may be higher in England than in some other countries, but it is still indicative of the prejudices present in many cultures that inaccurately and unfairly separate psychiatric from physical conditions when assessing capability. Substance Abuse Alcohol and Drug Abuse . In one 2000 study, women with a history of depression were 2.6 times more likely to drink heavily than were women with no such history.
Depression is a well-known risk factor for smoking and increases the danger of starting young.
Indeed, nicotine may stimulate receptors in the brain that improve mood in certain people with genetically-induced depression. Am J Psychiatry. Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults. Arch Intern Med. Cerebrovascular risk factors and 1-year depression outcome in older primary care patients.