Sydney, Australia: Australian researchers uncovered a shocking new finding about depression on Wednesday that “Women are genetically at higher risk of clinical depression than men” as they stated that this finding could lead to a new approach in treating disorders.
This large-scale study, led by the Berghofer Medical Research Institute located in Australia, took and analyzed the DNA of almost 200,000 people with depression and identified key genetic differences between men and women.
The Berghofer Medical Research Institute emphasised that the woman had twice of these genetic markers which are linked to depression than men with around 13,000 markers associated with depression in women compared to 7,000 in men.
Jodi Thomas who is the researcher stated that “The genetic component to depression is larger in females compared to males. Understanding the genetic factors that are shared and those that differ between men and women helps us to better understand the causes of depression and paves the way for more personalized treatments.”
“It has long been recognized that women have experienced depression more often than men, but the biological reasons behind this are still not fully understood,” he further said.
As some of the researchers stated, genetic changes may alter biological pathways which are linked to metabolism or hormone production, which could explain why women with depression often experience metabolic symptoms like weight changes or altered energy levels.
Further they stated that the study’s findings could lead to more personalized treatments for depression, while addressing the specific needs for the men and women.
The researcher Brirtany Mitchell highlighted and emphasised the need for more studies on depression in women, as most current research and medications have been focused on men only.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over 300 million people worldwide are living with depression. This study’s findings have major implications for worldwide mental health as this study was published in the peer reviewed journal nature communications.
