US Edition14 Psychiatric Disorders Share 5 Genetic Roots, Study Says
Researchers analyzed genetic data from over 6 million people and identified 428 shared genetic variants across 14 psychiatric disorders grouped into five overlapping families.
- On December 10, the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium Cross-Disorder Working Group led by Kenneth Kendler, M.D., and Jordan Smoller, M.D., published in Nature grouping 14 psychiatric disorders into five genetic families using data from more than 6 million people.
- Because most people with one diagnosis get another, researchers studying comorbidity analyzed genomes from more than 1 million diagnosed cases and 5 million people without diagnoses to explain shared inherited influences.
- Genetic mapping revealed 238 genetic variants accounting for major case-control differences, 428 pleiotropic genetic variants, and 101 chromosomal 'hot spots' linking multiple disorders.
- Researchers say the findings could redefine diagnostic and treatment guidelines, aiding clinicians diagnosing psychiatric disorders and guiding therapeutic development efforts targeting related conditions.
- Genomic patterns indicate that genes influencing oligodendrocytes and excitatory neurons map to different brain-cell types and act early in fetal development, researchers reported.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Scientists discover why mental disorders so often overlap
A massive global genetics study is reshaping how we understand mental illness—and why diagnoses so often pile up. By analyzing genetic data from more than six million people, researchers uncovered deep genetic connections across 14 psychiatric conditions, showing that many disorders share common biological roots. Instead of existing in isolation, these conditions fall into five overlapping families, helping explain why depression, anxiety, PTSD,…
14 Psychiatric Disorders Share 5 Genetic Roots, Major Study Reveals
We know that the genes we're born with contribute to the risk of psychiatric disorders during our lifetimes, and a new study shows there is significantly more biological overlap across these conditions than previously thought.
New research finds 5 genetic signatures shared by 14 psychiatric disorders — Harvard Gazette
Health New research finds 5 genetic signatures shared by 14 psychiatric disorders Human brain with DNA strand. 3d illustration Mass General Brigham Communications December 16, 2025 4 min read Could advance treatment of mental illness with greater precision, less medication Distinct psychiatric disorders have more in common biologically than previously believed, according to the largest and most detailed …
Psychiatric Disorders Share Far More DNA Than Scientists Realized
A global research team co-led by VCU expert Kenneth Kendler has produced the most comprehensive genetic map so far, identifying five families of disorders that show a high degree of overlap. An international team of scientists is offering new insight into why people are so often affected by more than one psychiatric condition. In a [...]
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