There are numerous symptoms of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Study eligibility is determined by a study-related medical evaluation. Depression is an illness that influences the way you feel, think, and interact with your family, friends, and coworkers. It robs people of the normal pleasures in life and is an important contributor to premature death. Episodes of depression can vary in the numbers of symptoms, severity, and persistence, and often recur during a lifetime.
Some types of depression run in families.
This is especially true for recurrent Major Depression that first occurs early in life. If they are successful, the information they learn could be used to develop better treatments for a disorder that affects seven percent of all American adults. Most, if not all, cases of early-onset recurrent depression run in families. Anyone over the age of 18 and who has experienced two or more episodes of major depression at age 40 or younger may be eligible to participate in this research study. Participants will need to complete an interview and will be asked to donate a small amount of blood.