Can Depression Be Contagious?

Can Depression Be Contagious? (0:44)

Can you "catch" depression from someone else? Not quite, says neuropsychologist Marsha Lucas, PhD, author of "Rewire Your Brain for Love." But, she explains in this videos, others' moods can still have an impact on our own.

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Mood states, any emotion, does have the capacity for sort of contagion effect, whether it's empathy or sadness. Anyone who's walked into a party where there's a lot of laughter can feel that sort of surge in their own capacity for that. Being around someone who's depressed is difficult, it doesn't necessarily lead to depression, you can end up feeling unsatisfied, frustrated, hurt, angry and sometimes the partners need a significant amount of support and help themselves.

[MUSIC].

Marsha Lucas

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About Marsha Lucas

Marsha Lucas, PhD, is a psychologist specializing in neurobiology, an integrative approach to psychology. She is also author of Rewire Your Brain for Love.

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Can Depression Be Contagious?