STOCKHOLM / LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – A new study shows that depression that begins in adolescence has a stronger genetic basis than those that occur later in life. These findings could lead to tailored treatment approaches and make it possible to better assess the risk of suicide.
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A recently published study examined the genetic differences between depression that begins early in life and those that occur later. Research suggests that depression that begins in adolescence or young adulthood has a stronger genetic basis and is linked to early brain development. This form of depression also shows a higher genetic association with suicide attempts compared to depression that occurs later in life.
The study, published in the renowned journal Nature Genetics published highlights that the genetic architecture of depression varies depending on the age of onset. Researchers from the Nordic TRYGGVE consortium used large health registries from five Nordic countries to analyze the genetic data of over 150,000 people with depression. This data was compared with that of more than 360,000 people without depression.
The results show that twelve genetic regions are associated with early-onset depression, while only two regions are associated with the late-onset form. What is particularly striking is that the genetic markers for early-onset depression are enriched in tissues of the fetal brain, suggesting that genetic risks can influence brain development at a very early stage.
The researchers estimated the heritability of early-onset depression at 11.2 percent, almost twice as high as that of late-onset depression, which is 6 percent. These differences in heritability highlight the importance of genetic factors in the development of depression at a young age. It has also been found that the genetic overlap between the two forms of depression and other mental disorders is different. The genetic correlation between early onset depression and suicide attempts is particularly strong.
The study also used Mendelian randomization to examine possible causal relationships. The results suggest that a genetic predisposition to early-onset depression may have a causal influence on the risk of suicide attempt. In the future, these findings could help to use genetic information to better identify and provide targeted support to people at high risk of suicide.
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