The paper presents the results of a comprehensive clinical-genealogical, clinical-anamnestic and psychodiagnostic examination of patients with recurrent depression. The features, structure and role of heredity factors and social stress factors in the formation of recurrent depression have been investigated. The presence of a significant family accumulation of depressive disorders in the pedigrees was revealed in patients with recurrent depressive disorders, predominantly in the mother’s line. It was found that an important provoking factor in the development of depressive disorders is the presence of factors of mental traumatization, mainly social and psychological. It has been proved that a significant role in the pathogenesis of depression belongs not to the number of stressful events, but to the level of their stressfulness. The results obtained show that the formation of depressive disorders is determined by the presence of a combined effect of clinical and genealogical, social and environmental and socio-psychological factors.