A new global study, led by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Kings College London, has pinpointed the genes that increases the risk of developing depression across different ethnicities.
New genetic risk factors for depression have been identified across all major global populations for the first time, allowing scientists to predict risk of depression regardless of ethnicity.
The world’s largest and most diverse genetic study ever into major depression has revealed nearly 300 previously unknown genetic links to the condition, experts say.
“Our study identifies hundreds of additional genetic variants that play a role in depression.” – Professor Cathryn Lewis
“These findings show depression is highly polygenic and open up downstream pathways to translate these findings into better care for people with depression” Says Professor Cathryn Lewis, study co-lead from the  Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London.
100 of the newly discovered genetic variations – small differences in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene – were identified due to the inclusion of people of African, East Asian, Hispanic and South Asian descent, the study found.
Previous research into the genetics of depression has focused primarily on white populations that originally descended from people living in Europe. Therapies developed using genetic approaches may therefore not be effective in other ethnicities, widening existing health inequalities.
Each single genetic variant has a very small effect on the overall risk of developing depression. If a person has multiple variants, these small effects can add up, increasing their risk.
