A major new study has found that women carry a higher genetic risk of depression than men. The research, published in Nature Communications, identified 16 genetic variants linked to depression in women, compared to only eight in men.
Led by Australia's QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, the study analysed DNA from over 300,000 individuals across five international cohorts. It found that while many genetic variants were shared between sexes, women had a higher burden of genetic risk, possibly due to female-specific variants.
Senior researcher Dr Brittany Mitchell noted that women are twice as likely as men to experience depression in their lifetime. The study also revealed stronger genetic correlations in women between depression and metabolic traits such as body mass index and metabolic syndrome.
Lead researcher Dr Jodi Thomas said these genetic differences may explain why women with depression more often experience metabolic symptoms like weight changes or altered energy levels. The authors acknowledged limitations, including the restriction of analyses to European populations.
Professor Philip Mitchell from the University of New South Wales, who was not involved in the study, said the findings provide strong evidence that genetic factors may underlie sex differences in depression rates, and could lead to sex-specific pharmacological treatments in the future.
