A team from the Berghoffer Medical Research Institute in Australia has analyzed the genetic predisposition to in both men and women. The study revealed that women possess twice as many depression-related genes as men. This suggests that are genetically more prone to developing clinical depression than men. According to the researchers, this finding could change the approach to treating this mental health disorder.
What Did the Scientists Report?
Medical professionals have long known that depression more frequently affects women, but the biological reasons behind this phenomenon have remained a mystery.
During the study, researchers analyzed the of approximately 200,000 individuals suffering from depression, as reported by Science Alert. The team found that women had nearly twice as many genetic markers associated with depression compared to men. Specifically, women with this disorder had around 13,000 genetic markers linked to depression, while men had about 7,000.
Dr. Jodie Thomas, the lead author of the study, commented on the results: “The genetic component of depression in women is expressed more strongly than in men. Studying the common and unique genetic factors in men and women gives us a clearer picture of the causes of depression and paves the way for more personalized treatment.”
“We identified some genetic features that may help explain why women with depression often experience metabolic symptoms such as changes in weight or energy levels,” the researcher added.
Meanwhile, her colleague Brittany Mitchell stated that the results of this study could help change the approaches to treating depression in women. She also noted that researchers have yet to conduct follow-up studies explaining why depression affects women and differently and what role genetics plays in this.
The team believes their work is significant, especially considering that many recent well-known studies on depression have primarily focused on men. Consequently, the majority of participants in these studies have been men.
Clinical depression is one of the most common mental health disorders. According to the World Health Organization, over 300 million people worldwide suffer from it.
The findings of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications.
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