Depression can be contagious, study claims

The idea that your mood is affected by those you spend time with is probably not news to you.

Students who live together can pass on their depression, claims a new study. (Thinkstock)

But what if we told you that something as serious as depression -- a chemical imbalance in one's brain that can immobilize some -- can be triggered by being around others who exhibit depressive behaviours.

A recent study by psychological scientists Gerald Haeffel and Jennifer Hames from the University of Notre Dame suggests that university students who live together can pass on their depression, through a mental process known as "cognitive vulnerability."
“Our study demonstrates that cognitive vulnerability has the potential to wax and wane over time depending on the social context,” the researchers write in their paper.