New research by neuroscientists from Columbia University and McGill University has found a brain chemical that may explain why some people who faced trauma in childhood are more likely to suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts as adults.
The chemical is a stress-related protein called SGK1, and it could open the door to better treatments for people who were abused or neglected as children.
This study is important because it focuses on a group of people who often don’t respond well to current antidepressant medications.
Studies show that around 60% of adults in the U.S. diagnosed with major depression—and about two-thirds of those who try to take their own life—went through some form of childhood trauma, such as abuse or growing up in a dysfunctional home.
Dr. Christoph Anacker, the lead author of the study and a professor at Columbia University, explained that existing antidepressants, like SSRIs, often don’t work well for people with a history of early life stress. His team’s findings help explain why that might be the case. They believe that the biological process causing depression in these individuals may be different from others.
About a decade ago, the same research team found unusually high levels of SGK1 in the blood of patients with depression who weren’t taking medication. SGK1 is a protein that responds to stress, and the latest research shows it may play a major role in depression and suicide, especially for those who experienced trauma in childhood.
In their recent study, the researchers looked at the brains of adults who died by suicide. They discovered that people who had childhood trauma had the highest levels of SGK1—up to twice as much as others.
They also studied children who had gone through tough experiences early in life and found that those with a certain version of the SGK1 gene were more likely to become depressed as teens.
These results show that SGK1 could be a major biological factor behind depression and suicidal thoughts, especially in people who faced adversity when they were young.
The exciting part is that medications that block SGK1 are already being tested for other conditions, such as heart problems. In experiments with mice, SGK1-blocking drugs prevented depression-like behavior during stressful situations.
Dr. Anacker and his team now hope to begin testing these drugs in people who have depression and a history of early trauma. They also suggest that genetic tests might help doctors figure out who would benefit the most from this new kind of treatment.
This discovery gives researchers a new target for antidepressants and a better way to help people who haven’t had success with current treatments. It also highlights the importance of early-life experiences in shaping long-term mental health.
The research, called “Hippocampal SGK1 promotes vulnerability to depression: the role of early life adversity, stress, and genetic risk,” was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
The team included scientists from Columbia, McGill, Dartmouth, and the Karolinska Institute. The work was funded by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and Columbia University’s Department of Psychiatry.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about 6 foods you can eat to improve mental health, and B vitamins could help prevent depression and anxiety.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how dairy foods may influence depression risk, and results showing Omega-3 fats may help reduce depression.
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