But experts are quick to point out that clinical mood disorders
are not contagious per se. Depression and bipolar disorder are
complex, rooted in genetics and subtle brain chemistry. Experts
point out that these disorders cannot infect people nearby the
way a virus could. "A depressed person will not give you the
same clinical disorder by contagion. They're just too complex
for that," said Ian Gotlib, professor of psychology and director
of the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Laboratory at Stanford
University. "It is rare that you yourself will develop that same
psychiatric disorder." But a person with depression or other
disorder can have a tremendous effect on those around them.
Studies on college roommates show that when one person has
depression, the other roommate can develop similar behaviors and
feel more down. "It's not the mimicry, it's the stress of being
around them," Gotlib said. "The mood stuff happens, but it's not
clinical." Coping strategies are critical when dealing with a
depressed spouse. "If th