Introduction. Depression is becoming the most common emotional disorder in the world. It is estimated that annually, 3-15% of the general population has a depressive episode, of which 0.45% are severe depressive episodes. For this reason, the identification and classification of risk factors is important for the diagnosis and timely intervention in the treatment of depressive disorders Material and Methods. A synthesis analysis of international publications and specialized literature was performed using Pub Med, Medline, ResearchGATE network. Results. As a result, it was determined that the risk factors were classified according to scientifically proven objectivity, the degree of influence on the onset of depression, the frequency index from case to case. As an example, emotional abuse in childhood was ranked as a strong factor associated with depressive disorder, frequently encountered with low quality of life (from low, medium, high) and with degree III (from III according to severity). Vitamin D deficiency was ranked as a strong factor associated with depressive disorder, frequently encountered with medium quality of life, and with degree III. Conclusion. The objective classification of risk factors in depressive disorders has a major influence on prevention, severity determination and timely intervention.