In one of the largest studies on the genes involved in
human behaviour, a team of over 190 researchers from 140 institutions in 17
countries have found genetic variants associated with our feelings of
well-being, depression and neuroticism.
The researchers, however, have advise caution when
interpreting the results as genetic variants do not determine whether someone
develops depressive symptoms, neuroticism or has a poor sense of well-being.
Dr. Alexis Frazier-Wood, assistant professor of
pediatrics and nutrition at the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center
at Baylor and Texas Children’s Hospital, said: “In this paper, we applied
advanced statistical analyses and meta-analyzed, or combined, results across a
large number of studies, which is the most powerful way to conduct this type of
genetics research.” “I served as the analyst for one set of data included in
the overall results. We report that we found three genetic variants associated
with subjective well-being — how happy a person thinks or feels about his or
her life. We also found two genes harboring variants associated with depressive
symptoms and 11 genes where variation was associated with neuroticism,” she
further added.
“Genetics is
only one factor that influences these psychological traits. The environment is at
least as important, and it interacts with the genetic effects,” said Dr. Daniel
Benjamin, associate professor at the Center for Economic and Social Research in
the University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and
Sciences and corresponding author.
The information
in this report allows researchers to look at possible ways to study these
conditions. “We can start studying the functions of these genes to begin to
understand why biologically some people are more predisposed to feel this way
than others,” said Frazier-Wood.
Journal Nature Genetics published the
study.
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