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Hundreds of genes have recently been linked to depression, highlighting the origins of the disease and highlighting the types of personality potentially at risk.
The international study, covering more than two million people, is the largest of its kind. This could shed light on treatments for the disease, which affects one in five people in the UK and is the leading cause of disability in the world.
Scientists led by the University of Edinburgh studied information collected from three large sets of anonymized health data and DNA and identified 269 genes related to depression.
They also used an innovative statistical method to identify common DNA sections in depressed people and those who engaged in lifestyle behaviors such as smoking.
The findings suggest that depression may be a determining factor driving some people to smoke, but further research is needed to explain why, the team said.
The results also show that neuroticism – a tendency to be worried or fearful – could lead people to become depressed, which could shed light on the personality factors that put them at risk.
The statistical approach – known as Mendelian randomization – allows scientists to examine the impact of a condition on behavior, while excluding other influences such as Age or income.
Anonymized data, used with the consent of the donor, is held by UK Biobank, the 23andMe research and personal genetics company and the Psychiatry Genomics Consortium.
Experts say the study reflects the importance of data science in understanding mental health and the leading role that Scotland plays in this area.
The team invites people with depression or anxiety in Scotland to take part in a future study to better understand the role of DNA in common mental health problems.
The research, known as GLAD (Genetic Linkages for Anxiety and Depression), aims to better understand depression and anxiety to improve the lives of people with mental health problems.
The team, working with colleagues at the Mental Health BioResource National Institute for Health Research and King & # 39; s College London, hopes to collect saliva samples and questionnaires from 40,000 people across the Kingdom. -United.
Study participants will be offered the opportunity to participate in other mental health research.
The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, was funded by Wellcome and the Council for Medical Research.
Professor Andrew McIntosh, of the Center for Clinical Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, who led the research, said: "These findings are further evidence that depression is partly due to our genetics.
"We hope that by launching the GLAD study, we will be able to better understand why some people are at greater risk than others with mental health problems and how we could help people with depression and anxiety more effectively in the future. "
Raliza Stoyanova, Head of Neuroscience and Mental Health Portfolio at Wellcome, said, "This large study is a significant step forward in understanding the potential contribution of genetic variability to the risk of depression. The study provides intriguing clues for future research, for example: the biological pathways involved in the development of the disease may not be the same as those involved in the response to treatment . "
Sophie Dix, director of research at MQ, a mental health charity that did not participate in the research, said, "This study adds weight to the evidence that genes are one of the most risk of depression, which is also affected by life events such as the social environment and trauma.The value of this approach is clearly expressed in the development of personalized treatments. – which is welcome given the lack of innovation in identifying new approaches.For almost 50 years, we have made very little progress with depression and for the moment the available solutions do not work for the whole world.
"The power of this great genetic study lies in the fact that it can point to brain systems, which adds to our currently limited understanding in this area, improving our understanding of these systems and the way in which they work. "Social environment affects biological risk factors, we can start identifying new targets for treatments that could help millions of people affected by depression worldwide."
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