Depression's Genetic Link
The research is being published in two separate papers in the February issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry and was led by scientists at Stanford University.
The studies targeted families that appeared to have a genetic tendency towards depression. Their sample included 631 families in which at least two members had had repeated episodes of severe depression that began in childhood or early adulthood.
The first study involved a scan of the entire genome to look for "linkages" between depression and DNA markers. This effort identified several chromosome regions that looked promising for more research.
The second study involved a more in-depth analysis of the most "suspicious" regions on chromosome 15. All together, 94 DNA markers were examined in these two studies and revealed significant evidence for linkage to depression.
Future work will be aimed at more specifically indentifying which genes are related to depression.
Comments
The idea of a genetic link to depression tends to relegate depression to something that one can do little about, except, perhaps, taking medication to compensate for whatever weaknesses there are in our brain.
The idea of genetics and its role in mental illness is best related in a very scholarly work by Dr. Joel Nigg, a psychology professor at Michigan State University in a book released last June entitled What Causes ADHD.
Dr. Nigg examines hundreds of studies. Depression and ADHD ofte go hand in hand. His conclusion is that there is often a genetic predisposition towards a certain mental illness. However, it is often one’s environment, social factors, phsyical and other factors that contribute to depression and ADHD.
It is not strictly a genetic problem. Many of the contribuint factors are ocntrollable by the individual. Dr. Joel Roberton in Natural Prozac and Dr. Joseph Glenmullen in his books, also demonstrate that lifestyle changes can make a considerable difference in improvement for person’s suffering from depression. These are not pop-psychology, “feel good about yourself” ideas or books, there are carefully researched, sometimes scholarly works examining the many studies on such subjects, as well as case studies of the individual doctors.
We need to carefully examine our lifestyle, as well as at times, unravelling and healing any problems we might have had in the past, through abuse or trauma, to effectively recover from depression. The majority of persons suffereing with depression today, can overcome it, often times without the need for medication through attention to these matters.
The idea of a genetic link to depression tends to relegate depression to something that one can do little about, except, perhaps, taking medication to compensate for whatever weaknesses there are in our brain.
The idea of genetics and its role in mental illness is best related in a very scholarly work by Dr. Joel Nigg, a psychology professor at Michigan State University in a book released last June entitled What Causes ADHD.
Dr. Nigg examines hundreds of studies. Depression and ADHD ofte go hand in hand. His conclusion is that there is often a genetic predisposition towards a certain mental illness. However, it is often one’s environment, social factors, phsyical and other factors that contribute to depression and ADHD.
It is not strictly a genetic problem. Many of the contribuint factors are ocntrollable by the individual. Dr. Joel Roberton in Natural Prozac and Dr. Joseph Glenmullen in his books, also demonstrate that lifestyle changes can make a considerable difference in improvement for person’s suffering from depression. These are not pop-psychology, “feel good about yourself” ideas or books, there are carefully researched, sometimes scholarly works examining the many studies on such subjects, as well as case studies of the individual doctors.
We need to carefully examine our lifestyle, as well as at times, unravelling and healing any problems we might have had in the past, through abuse or trauma, to effectively recover from depression. The majority of persons suffereing with depression today, can overcome it, often times without the need for medication through attention to these matters. It’s not just genetics.
Thank you for the information,but it’s like most of these studies on psychological problems. The researchers come to all sorts of conclusions about what causes what,who has co-morbid issues, who is more likely to get depression, if you get it once the chances of getting it again are so and so etc. But, the treatments are what is vital and they creeeeep into our lives so slowly. Then, these treatments may work,may not,may work for awhile-then don’t. And, so I say thanks for the info-some researcher earned their salary and got published-give them a high five how about some treatment for those of us who are hurting? That’s where I’d like to see the funding go to treatment studies.
Note to RM: if they find a genetic link, perhaps they can use this information for better treatments for depression…as I am in my 3rd depression, MDD this time, I too hope for better treatments, a cure would even be better.
I agree there are other factors like social, environment, etc., that contribute to depression. I do have 2 Aunts as well as my father who have suffered with MDD, I’ve seen signs in my oldest daughter that frightens me. So I am very interested in the genetic possiblilities. As well I have heard number of tragedies in ones life can contribute as well. That would be true for me.
I am glad they are working on all angles. I don’t want to wallow, I’d love to just snap out of it, there is something working against me here…and perhaps genes have something to do with it.
When I am “normal”, I am a sincerely bubbly person, with a joy that spreads to others…where is that now, and why can I not seem to get past this…it’s been over 3 months. I am on new medication because the last 2 only made me want to sleep.
Keep researching and experimenting, as depression seems to have become epidemic in our culture.