RESUMO
Both systemic and cognitive theories agree upon the importance of early learning in the development of depressive personality. The two theories disagree upon the meaning they give to the early experiences. According to cognitive theory the emotions bound to a significant and not reparable loss turn themselves into a pursuit of autonomy in order to prevent further grieves. In the grown-up person if autonomy is not reached or is lost, a depressive episode will rouse. According to the systemic theory, children learn emotions and behaviours of a depressed parent. The child also learns by himself or through the healthy parent the feeling of importance/inability to help. The grown-up person will make use of the depressed behaviour when he will feel unable to face by himself critical life events or to elice to care or attention by the partner.