Mental conditions share common genetic roots, study finds

An international study identified 101 chromosome regions where genetic variants raise risk across multiple psychiatric disorders and grouped those disorders into five genetic clusters.

Researchers report that many mental health disorders share genetic roots after mapping the human genome. An international team identified 101 chromosome regions where genetic variations contribute to risk across multiple psychiatric conditions. They divided disorders into five genetic clusters, including Internalizing (depression, anxiety, PTSD) and a Schizophrenia–Bipolar (SB) group. The analysis, published in Nature, also pinpointed hundreds of specific genetic variants linked to these clusters. Key findings: - The study identified 101 chromosomal regions linked to risk across multiple psychiatric disorders. - Disorders were grouped into five clusters: Substance Use, Internalizing, Neurodevelopmental, Compulsive, and SB (Schizophrenia and Bipolar). - The analysis reported 238 variants associated with at least one major risk category and 412 variants that help explain clinical differences between disorders. - Internalizing disorders showed strong shared genetic risk; the SB cluster showed about 70% genetic overlap between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. - One region on chromosome 11 was connected to eight different conditions. Summary: The study maps a shared genetic architecture that helps explain why diagnoses and symptoms often overlap across conditions. Translating these findings into clinical tests or routine biological subtyping is described as being in early research stages, and no current test can assign a patient's condition to these genetic clusters. Undetermined at this time.