Are psychological problems such as depression, bipolar, etc genetic?

Or is it a coincidence if it seems to 'run' in a family?

a lot of psychiatric conditions are genetic. depression,stress,anxiety. when you go for counceling the dr. will ask you to tell him/her a little about your family. the dr wants to get a general idea if mental illness runs in the family, how family members cope with thier situations. there is also seasonal depression. this happens during the winter when you dont get a lot of sunlight, or during bad weather like showers or when the sky is gray. there is also situational depression. this is where you experience the death of a loved one, lose a job, have a breakup. its tramatic events that cause depression during certain times of the year. like for me my mom passed away in 2003. i get depressed on mothers day her birthday holidays etc. if you go thru a divorce the anniversary of your marriage or the day you met is depressing for some people. and also different sounds and sights trigger seasonal depression a favorite song couples have then to hear it again after a breakup, seeing couples holding hands etc. some parents hide thier depression from children and other family members by using drugs,alcohol and other means to push the mental illness out of thier mind. if you have children later in life the chances are great for them to experience mental illness symptoms

I have been told that they are hereditary and do get past on down to other family members, that is why it is very important to know about your families medical history.
sure...there are some genetic factors which make patients more suceptible but they are not enough to cause the disease...there should be some external factors too
there is a high genetic component, but they are not necessarily genetic in all cases. good question
No, they are very much genetic. However, there is such a thing as 'situational depression'. But bi-polar is completely a genetic thing. E-Mail me if you want to talk about it more. I have it.
depression is genetic but i am not sure about bipolar
I believe that a genetic component is found in almost anything, and certainly studies have linked genetics to insanity... Parents know that it is a fact that insanity runs in families.... we get it from our children!