Scientists have identified new genetic risk factors for depression across all major global populations after a study involving five million participants, giving hope for new treatments.
The world’s largest and most diverse genetic study into depression revealed nearly 300 previously unknown genetic links.
A total of 100 of the newly discovered genetic variations – small differences in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene – were identified thanks to the inclusion of people of African, East Asian, Hispanic and South Asian descent.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and King’s College London studied anonymised genetic data from more than five million people in 29 countries, and believe the findings offer new insight into the impact of depression on the brain and present possible new targets for treatment.
