Depression is a serious mental illness that affects people of all ages, but a new study has found that when depression begins early in life, it may have a stronger genetic cause and come with a higher risk of suicide.
The study was published in the journal Nature Genetics and was led by researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and other institutions across the Nordic region.
The researchers looked at health and genetic data from more than 150,000 people diagnosed with depression and over 360,000 people without depression from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Estonia.
They compared people who experienced their first major episode of depression before the age of 25—called early-onset depression—with those who were first diagnosed after age 50—called late-onset depression.
The study found that early-onset depression had a much stronger hereditary (genetic) component than late-onset depression. This means that genes played a bigger role in the early form.
In fact, the team discovered twelve genetic regions that were linked to early-onset depression, but only two regions linked to late-onset depression. This suggests that the two types of depression may have different biological causes.
One of the most concerning findings was that people with a high genetic risk for early-onset depression were about twice as likely to attempt suicide within ten years of their diagnosis compared to those with a lower genetic risk. About one in four people with a high genetic risk attempted suicide during that period.
According to Lu Yi, one of the study’s lead authors and a senior researcher at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet, this discovery could change how mental health professionals approach treatment and support for people with depression.
The team hopes that genetic testing in the future could help doctors identify people who are at high risk of suicide so they can receive more support and be monitored more closely.
The researchers believe this is a step toward what is called “precision medicine” in mental health care. This means tailoring treatment and prevention plans based on a person’s specific genetic and health profile.
Next, the researchers want to find out how these genetic differences affect brain development and how they might interact with stressful life events and personal experiences. They also want to explore whether it’s possible to use genetic information to prevent suicide through early intervention in healthcare systems.
This study was a large collaboration between scientists from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, the University of Oslo in Norway, Copenhagen University Hospital and Roskilde University in Denmark, the University of Tartu in Estonia, and a Nordic research network called TRYGGVE.
In summary, this research highlights how early-onset depression is not only genetically different from depression that begins later in life but also more dangerous in terms of suicide risk. By understanding these differences, healthcare providers may be able to offer more effective support and prevention strategies to young people facing depression.
If you care about health, please read studies that scientists find a core feature of depression and this metal in the brain strongly linked to depression.
For more health information, please see recent studies about drug for mental health that may harm the brain, and results showing this therapy more effective than ketamine in treating severe depression.
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