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Have you ever heard the saying, “misery loves company?” That statement has unfortunately been proven true more than a few times – think about how difficult it is to be cheery and happy in a room full of sad people. So then the question becomes, is depression contagious? According to a new study, the answer to that is yes.

Researchers recently looked a group of college students and discovered that you actually can catch depression from others who are already depressed. They found that friends most likely “caught” depression from others six months later on.

But don’t freak out: this doesn’t mean that hanging with your depressed bestie means you’ll automatically find yourself depressed a few months later. There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to “catching” depression.

For one thing, it’s important to know that some people are simply more prone to being depressed than other people. This can be called cognitive vulnerability and it refers to people who respond negatively to stressful life events. It’s a really strong risk factor for depression.

Genetics also play a part in depression – those with a family history of it are more likely to suffer from it at some point in their lives. Other causes of depression include certain medications, a history of abuse, illness or other personal problems. The point is, there are a lot of causes and triggers of depression, so it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly how it happens. That means it’s really hard to say someone got depressed simply because they spent a lot of time with another depressed person. You know what I mean?

Another important thing to consider with this study is that researchers looked at students who lived together as roommates in college. Think about it: college roommates usually spend a ton of time together because, um, they live together! They share a very small space and so it’s difficult to really separate yourself from that person. Of course some of their habits and thinking are going rub off on each other. It sort of makes sense that researchers found that people assigned to roommates with depression caught onto that type of thinking.

The good news? Researchers also found that students with cognitive vulnerability assigned to roommates who didn’t have cognitive vulnerability actually experienced a decrease in their negative thinking. That means that while it can be possible to catch depression, it can also be possible to catch positive thinking and happier feelings.

The other piece of good news that comes from this is that it may help researchers find new ways to treat people suffering from depression. One of the doctors working on the case pointed out that “alerting a person’s environment could be used as part of a treatment for depression.”

If you’re suffering from depression and want to find help, the best thing for you to do is to seek professional help. Talking to a therapist might sound scary, but it can be really helpful for some people. Talking things out with family members and friends may be helpful also, but they can’t always give you the full attention you may need.

And if you feel like you’re especially prone to depression, this information doesn’t mean you need to stay away from depressed people altogether. However, I wouldn’t spend all of my time with those who are constantly miserable and continuously bring you down. If you feel like someone is a trigger to your depression, it may be in your best interest to spend less times with them. At the same time, it might be beneficial for you to hang with people who are happy and positive a lot of the time. That might help to lift your mood.

Do you suffer from depression? Do you think depression is catching? Have you ever felt sad after being with someone who was depressed? Tell us in the comments.

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