You have an interesting topic and I agree there is much in degrees of environment and triggers for personal depression.
1. I would think there are certain conditional differences among gay or straight people, but this idea is simply a notion without statistically proven facts. I think depression can affect you in many ways even positively if you can get through it.
2. It is not really a matter of weaknesses or resistance in certain levels that make gay people more prone to depression. Societal affects do come back to haunt people, who are gay, versus people, who are straight, more in some degrees. The key reasoning may be the antagonism that society gives to gay people as they grow up and a feeling of isolation that is onset through such notions. Sociology and psychology come hand in hand, when you look at how attitudes develop that influence depression. There is a reason behing the large amounts of gay teens committing suicide versus straight teens over the years.
3. I do not know if it is easier to accompany or assist anyone with depression. It is a mindset that is not easily borken out of without some internal desire through the depressed person.
On a personal note, I have been depressed recently due to a multitude of factors concerning choices that I made in my life so far. Being as young as I am, I made certain life changing choices that I already know has affected me in many ways. Being gay was not a choice, but trying to hide it, reproach it, and even subdue it were choices that I tried to force on myself. Things are not simply black and white in our world, Depression is something that leads to greater sadness if not controlled, but it is also something that I believe gives a good reflection on you as a person if you can confront the reasons why you are depressed and have support for it.
