In the largest genetic study of its kind, scientists have identified more than 200 genes associated with depression that could give new insights to researchers looking for treatments to what is the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression">leading cause of disability</a> in the world.
Combining anonymous data from more than two million people who were part of the three different genome-wide association studies on depression, an international team of researchers led by scientists at the University of Edinburgh, identified 269 genes associated with depression.

“These findings are further evidence that depression is partly down to our genetics,” said Professor Andrew McIntosh, of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, who led the research. “We hope the findings will help us understand why some people are more at risk of depression than others, and how we might help people living with depression and anxiety more effectively in the future.”
Published in journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-018-0326-7">Nature Neuroscience</a>, the study, which included data from the <a href="https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/about-biobank-uk/">UK Biobank</a>, 23andMe, and the <a href="http://www.med.unc.edu/pgc">Psychiatry Genomics Consortium</a>, found that many of the strongest associations were on or near genes involved in neurotransmission and response to stimuli that are part of the central nervous system. And the associations further highlight the importance of studying cortical regions of the brain and their role in the condition, according to the researchers.
Trauma, social factors, and life events all play a role in depression, but by understanding the influence genes have and their role in how an individual responds to those external factors, could help in developing more personalized treatments, the researchers said.
This study also found that depression shared genetic associations with neuroticism — a personality type that is characterized as being more fearful and worried. Researchers also found a shared genetic association with smoking. The later association may indicate that depression could lead some people to smoke.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

New Insights into the Genetics of Depression

The latest episodes of<a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-spit-29676456/"> Spit</a>, iHeartRadio’s podcast with 23andMe, includes more intelligent and raw conversations with artists, thinkers, and scientists across a variety of topics. This next batch of episodes take a different turn looking at the influence of genetics and personal experiences around emotional wellbeing, addiction, and family.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26715" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Spit-Podcast-300x168.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="168" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Spit-Podcast-300x168.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Spit-Podcast.jpg 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Hosted by the writer, comedian and cultural critic,<a href="http://baratunde.com/"> Baratunde Thurston</a>, the podcast continues to probe into the ways genetic science is changing how we see the world and the issues many of us wrestle with every day. And the show stays true to its fearless march into difficult territory with conversations that attempt to break the stigma around mental health and addiction.
<div id="attachment_26712" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26712" class="wp-image-26712 size-large" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="682" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-1180x786.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx.jpg 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Spit podcast host Baratunde Thurston, left, with addiction specialist Dr. Adi Jaffee, Ph.D., center, and Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx.</div>
<h2>All About Addiction</h2>
Baratunde’s frank discussion<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1422827494"> about addiction</a> with former Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, and Adi Jaffe, Ph.D., an addiction specialist, and author, gets personal fast. Both men share their own stories of troubled childhoods, and falling into addiction, and they hash out the many ways both nature and nurture contribute to addictions. Sixx kicked a punishing addiction to heroin while Jaffe, who also lectures at UCLA, once had drug problems of his own.
While the first part of the conversation touches on the science, Baratunde takes things deeper into the biology of addiction during the second part of this podcast by engaging with two academics from UC San Diego, School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry —<a href="https://profiles.ucsd.edu/Abraham.Palmer"> Abraham Palmer</a>, Ph.D., and Sandra Roige, Ph.D. Palmer and Roige have recently published papers using data from 23andMe that offered insight into addiction, most recently on<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/the-genetics-of-alcoholism/"> alcoholism</a>, and before that on something called<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/wait-new-genetic-research-impulsivity/"> “delay discounting”</a> — a tendency to overvalue immediate rewards over future ones, which is also associated with impulsivity and addiction. The researchers emphasize that genetics is not deterministic and environment plays a critical role in addiction, but genetics matters too. It matters not just in one’s tendency toward addiction, but also in how someone’s body reacts to alcohol or drugs, or a person’s tolerance or their inability to quit.
<h2>Mental Health Awareness</h2>
For the podcast on mental health, Baratunde sits down with<a href="https://drgailsaltz.com/"> Gail Saltz, Ph.D</a>., a professor of psychiatry and a psychoanalyst, and singer and songwriter<a href="http://www.mikeshinoda.com/"> Mike Shinoda</a> of the band<a href="https://linkinpark.com/"> Linkin Park</a>. Shinoda has become an advocate for mental health awareness after the death of his close friend and Linkin Park bandmate Chester Bennington, who died last year of an apparent suicide. Shinoda poignantly asks Dr. Saltz:
“Is there more we can do? And if so, how?”
<div id="attachment_26710" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26710" class="wp-image-26710 size-large" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-1024x688.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="688" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-1024x688.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-300x202.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-768x516.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-880x591.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-1180x793.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />On the left, Professor Gail Saltz, PhD, with Baratunde Thurston, center, and Mike Shinoda of the band Linkin Park.</div>
During their conversation with Baratunde, Saltz and Shinoda talk about combating the stigma of mental illness, and resources for those battling depression or helping others in a mental health crisis. Together they explore some of the genetic and environmental factors that influence anxiety, depression and other behavioral issues. 23andMe has been working on a study on the genetics of<a href="https://www.23andme.com/depression-bipolar/"> major depression and bipolar disorder</a>. In August of 2016, researchers from 23andMe, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Pfizer, published<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/08/01/large-dna-study-using-23andme-data-finds-15-sites-linked-to-depression/"> a landmark study</a> on the genetic connection between genetics and depression. The study, the largest of its kind to date, identified 15 genetic regions that were linked to depression, but the work is ongoing.
<h2>We Are Family</h2>
In the podcast on family, the conversation takes a lighter turn as Baratunde poses the question of whether people would be more unified if they understood we are all “related.”
<div id="attachment_26711" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26711" class="wp-image-26711 size-large" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />From left to right Darren Criss, his brother Chuck, writer AJ Jacobs and Spit podcast host Baratunde Thurston. Photo: Katherine Tyler for iHeartRadio</div>
For this discussion he sat down with<a href="https://ajjacobs.com/"> AJ Jacobs</a>, a humorist and the author of the book “It’s All Relative,” along with the brothers Darren and Chuck Criss of the band Computer Games. Jacobs, who is a friend of 23andMe, talked about trying to create a global family tree to illustrate how we are all related. A few years ago he helped organize a “global family reunion,” and he talked about what he saw as the talked about one moment during the event when everyone at the event and those tuning in online started singing the song, “We Are Family.”
“It was quite moving,” he said.
The Criss brothers talked about their own family, and not really connecting with their distant relatives until they were older. But they also talk about how they feel family-like connections to many of those with whom they work, connections that have nothing to do with genetics.
“We are surrounded by people in our lives we consider cousins,” said Darren. “They feel closer to us than blood family.”
You can find these or any of the<a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-spit-29676456/"> Spit</a>, podcasts at <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-spit-29676456/">iHeart</a>, or on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/spit/id1422827494?mt=2">iTunes</a>.

Spit, The Next Installment

An international team of researchers has found shared genetic underpinnings for alcoholism and several psychiatric disorders including depression, ADHD and schizophrenia.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26708" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles-880x660.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Empty-Bottles.jpg 1182w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
It is the largest genome-wide association study ever done on individuals with diagnosed alcohol dependency. The study led by researchers at Harvard Medical School, Yale, Indiana University, and Washington University, also bolsters <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/the-genetics-of-alcoholism/">other research</a> that has shown shared genetic influences between substance abuse and certain psychiatric disorders. 
“The current estimate is that one in eight Americans suffers from alcohol dependence,” said <a href="https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/alcohol-dependence-psychiatric-disorders-share-genetic-links/">senior author Arpana Agrawal</a>, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “And the gene we identified has a protective effect, but by no means is it the only thing affecting risk of alcohol dependence. We know environmental factors also play a role. We also think the genetic susceptibility to alcohol dependence stems from the small, cumulative effects of a very large number of variants across the genome.”
Along with the genome-wide association study — that included data from more than 50,000 people — this study, using data from <a href="https://research.23andme.com/research/">23andMe</a>, also looked at the genetic correlation between alcohol dependence and 42 different traits. Those traits were as varied as nicotine addiction, major depressive disorder, BMI, and educational attainment to name a few.
But this new study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-018-0275-1">Nature Neuroscience</a>, is unique in that the researchers included data from individuals who were diagnosed for alcohol dependency, and the study included individuals with non-European ancestry. The researchers noted that many genes influence alcohol dependence, but genes that affect how individuals metabolize alcohol play an outsized role. Researchers found that different genetic variants were more important for people with African American ancestry versus those of European descent.
Together the findings offer more insight into the causes of alcohol dependence, a major public health issue. Worldwide alcohol abuse accounts for about 5 percent of the global disease burden, and it is tied to one in 20 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
This study also follows on the heels of a series of studies that have explicitly looked at alcohol use, including both casual consumption and much heavier alcohol use. Both studies found distinct genetic differences between occasional consumption and alcohol abuse. For example, researchers in both studies found that there was a negative correlation between the heavy drinking associated with alcoholism and educational attainment — the number of years of formal education. But there is a positive correlation between educational attainment and more casual or social drinking.
This study, and others, suggest that social drinking is not associated with depression, but problem drinking and alcoholism are. The study also found correlations with smoking, marijuana use, and measures for lower impulse control and higher tolerance for risk taking.
The work in linking these kinds of behavioral traits and psychiatric disorders has been made possible, in large part, because researchers have been able to leverage the massive amounts of de-identified aggregate data from 23andMe, the UK Biobank and several smaller research cohorts. This study also benefited from using data from individuals who were diagnosed with alcohol dependence, but an even larger study could yield more results, the researchers said.
&nbsp;

New Research Shows Shared Genetic Link Between Alcohol Dependence and Psychiatric Disorders

Researchers identified more than a hundred genetic regions associated with neuroticism, a trait used to gauge personality that is also associated with risk factors for depression and schizophrenia.
For this, the largest study ever done on neuroticism, scientists used data from many studies in what researchers call a “meta-analysis.” 
Altogether the study includes data from almost half a million people, including from 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research.The study led by<a href="https://ctg.cncr.nl/people/danielle_posthuma"> Danielle Posthuma</a>, a statistical geneticist at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, identified 136 genes associated with neuroticism. 
“Neuroticism is an important risk factor for depression,” said Posthuma. “Hence, insights into the biological mechanisms underlying neuroticism may eventually be informative for the development of drugs to treat depression. Our study is the most comprehensive study into the genetics and biological mechanisms of neuroticism to date, and provides very specific starting points for follow-up studies.”
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Brain-e1529951057892-300x254.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-26298 size-medium" width="300" height="254" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Brain-e1529951057892-300x254.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Brain-e1529951057892-768x651.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Brain-e1529951057892-1024x868.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Brain-e1529951057892-880x746.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Brain-e1529951057892-1180x1000.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Brain-e1529951057892.jpg 1395w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0151-7">Nature Genetics</a>, was also able to show two distinct clusters for the neuroticism, one around “worry” and the other for what is called “depressed affect,” which describes a state of reduced emotional expression often associated with schizophrenia. In a parallel meta-analysis that also included data from 23andMe and was published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0152-6">Nature Genetics</a>,  Posthuma and her team found found 205 loci associated with intelligence offering a deeper look at the neurobiology of cognitive function. That study also found associations between those genetic regions and &#8220;intelligence-linked&#8221; genes, and associations with educational attainment, Alzheimer&#8217;s disease and ADHD. The researcher &#8220;suggest protective effects of intelligence (against) Alzheimer’s disease and ADHD,&#8221; but it is linked to an increased risk for autims.
This research is the latest in a<a href="about:blank"> series of studies</a> that have illuminated the underlying genetic basis for cognitive function, personality traits and psychiatric disorders. The research around personality have included work on the genetics around the so-called called<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits"> “Big Five</a>” personality traits — neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.
On that spectrum of traits, a high level of neuroticism is associated with various mental and physical health issues including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. High levels of neuroticism are also associated with schizophrenia.
By revealing genes associated with neuroticism, this study adds to our understanding of the underlying neurobiology of the condition. The study points to genes and gene regions involved in neurogenesis, or the process of neuron production in the brain, as well as other processes involving neural stem cells and nerve cells in the brain.
“These results are a major step forward in understanding the neurobiology of neuroticism and provide clear clues for functional follow-up experiments,” the study authors said.
&nbsp;

New Study Finds Genetic Associations for Neuroticism

By Janie F. Shelton, Scientist, Data Collection at 23andMe
 
Being hungry doesn’t put anyone in a good mood, but have you ever felt hangry? &#8220;Hangry,&#8221; a mashup of hungry and angry, entered the popular lexicon in the 1990’s and was formally added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2018.  
While this term describing the foul mood many of us experience when we&#8217;re hungry is relatively new, the connection between hunger and mood has been around for a while. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26235" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Hanger-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Hanger-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Hanger-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Hanger-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Hanger-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Hanger-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Hanger.jpg 1254w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h2>Hunger Pangs and Anger</h2>
Several studies have found that low blood sugar is associated with personality changes, including higher aggression between spouses.<a id="a1" href="#f1">[1]</a> In another study comparing judicial decisions by time of day, judges handed down harsher sentencing decisions before mealtime breaks compared with after.<a id="a2" href="#f2">[2]</a>
Feel an argument coming on? Try a snack first.
Up for trial? Bring the judge a sandwich.
<h2>Do You Feel Hangry?</h2>
We asked 23andMe research participants to take a survey on eating behaviors, including the question, “How often do you feel angry or irritable when you are hungry?” (Fig. 1). Out of over 100,000 people who answered the question, 75 percent said they felt “hangry” at least some of the time.
<div id="attachment_26229" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26229" class="size-medium wp-image-26229" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/imageLikeEmbed-1-300x185.png" alt="" width="300" height="185" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/imageLikeEmbed-1-300x185.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/imageLikeEmbed-1.png 526w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Figure 1. Response frequency to the survey question “How often do you feel angry or irritable when you are hungry?” Possible responses were “always”, “most of the time”, “half of the time”, “some of the time”, and “never”. n=107,577.</div>
Responses varied significantly across sex and age. Women were much more likely than men to report feeling angry or irritable when hungry (Fig. 2). People under 50 were also more likely to report anger and irritability when hungry than those over 50 (Fig. 3).
<h2>The Genetics of Being Hangry, Like the Wolf</h2>
To investigate the underlying biology of feeling angry and irritable when hungry, we ran a genome-wide association study among unrelated Europeans, controlling for age, sex, genetic ancestry, and the version of genotyping platform.
Two regions reached genome-wide significance, which are indicated in red in Figure 4. This graph is called a Manhattan plot, and it shows how strong the associations are between answers to the hangry
<div id="attachment_26230" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26230" class="size-medium wp-image-26230" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/imageLikeEmbed-2-300x186.png" alt="" width="300" height="186" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/imageLikeEmbed-2-300x186.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/imageLikeEmbed-2.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Figure 2. Percent of male and female respondents by category. Women were much more likely than men to report feeling angry or irritable when hungry.</div>
question and different genetic variants (represented by dots). Red dots show genetic variants that are &#8220;statistically significantly&#8221; associated with getting hangry — which means they&#8217;re most likely to be real associations (as opposed to random noise).
One region was located in the vaccinia-related-kinase 2 gene (VRK2), and the other in the exoribonuclease 1 gene (ERI1). Both of these loci have previously been associated with a range of personality and neuropsychiatric conditions. Specifically, the VRK2 gene has been associated with schizophrenia,<a id="a3" href="#f3">[3]</a> depression.<a id="a4" href="#f4">[4]</a> epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis.<a id="a5" href="#f5">[5]</a>
In two publications using 23andMe data, ERI1 has been associated with subjective well-being, irritability, and neuroticism.<a id="a6" href="#f6">[6]</a>,<a id="a7" href="#f7">[7]</a>  ERI1 is a protein-coding gene associated with a known inversion
<div id="attachment_26231" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26231" class="size-medium wp-image-26231" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/imageLikeEmbed-3-300x186.png" alt="" width="300" height="186" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/imageLikeEmbed-3-300x186.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/imageLikeEmbed-3.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Figure 3. Percent of under and over 50 respondents by category. People under 50 were more likely to report feeling angry or irritable when hungry.</div>
polymorphism on chromosome 8. An inversion polymorphism is a kind of genetic variant where a segment of the chromosome has broken off, flipped 180 degrees, and reintegrated in the same place. Inversion polymorphisms have a unique role in the genome because they are less likely to be altered through recombination across generations. This inversion is common, with an estimated frequency of 80 percent among Africans, 50 percent among Europeans, and 20 percent among Asians.<a id="a8" href="#f8">[8]</a>
<h2>Personality and Mental Health</h2>
Taken together, these results suggest that feeling angry and irritable when hungry may have origins in the genes that govern our personalities and mental health. While we initially expected feeling hangry to be more directly related to blood sugar regulation, these results are not a complete surprise because many of the genes involved in obesity implicate pathways that act in the brain.<a id="a9" href="#f9">[9]</a>
<div id="attachment_26232" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26232" class="size-medium wp-image-26232" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/hangry_gwas_w_labels-4-300x138.png" alt="" width="300" height="138" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/hangry_gwas_w_labels-4-300x138.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/hangry_gwas_w_labels-4-768x354.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/hangry_gwas_w_labels-4-1024x472.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/hangry_gwas_w_labels-4-880x406.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/hangry_gwas_w_labels-4-1180x544.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/hangry_gwas_w_labels-4.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Figure 4. Genome-wide association study manhattan plot for “How often do you feel angry or irritable when you are hungry?” Possible responses were “always”, “most of the time”, “half of the time”, “some of the time”, and “never”. n=107,577. This model treated the responses as linear, and adjusted for age, sex, genotyping platform, and the top-5 principal components of genetic ancestry.</div>
 While feeling hangry might make you feel on edge, could it give you an edge? Before heading out to the halfpipe, the 2018 women’s snowboarding gold medalist <a href="https://twitter.com/chloekimsnow/status/963234868615196673?lang=en">tweeted</a>, “Wish I finished my breakfast sandwich but my stubborn self decided not to and now I’m getting hangry”. She then proceeded to dazzle the world with her inverted 540 and double 1080’s, proving to the world that feeling hangry can’t stop you from becoming a world champion.
<h2> </h2>
<h2 class="footnotes">Footnotes:</h2>
<footer class="footnotes"><a id="f1" href="#a1">[1]</a> Bushman BJ et al. (2014). Low glucose relates to greater aggression in married couples. PNAS. 111 (17) 6254-6257</footer>
<a id="f2" href="#a2">[2]</a> Danziger S et al. (2011). Extraneous factors in judicial decisions. PNAS. 108 (17) 6889-6892
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<a id="f3" href="#a3">[3]</a> Steinbert S et al. (2011). Common variants at VRK2 and TCF4 conferring risk of schizophrenia. Hum Mol Genet. 2011 Oct 15;20(20):4076-81
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<a id="f4" href="#a4">[4]</a> Hyde CL et al. (2016). Identification of 15 genetic loci associated with risk of major depression in individuals of European descent. Nature Gen 48(9):1031-1036
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<a id="f5" href="#a5">[5]</a> Azimi T. et al. Vaccinia Related Kinase 2 (VRK2) expression in neurological disorders: schizophrenia, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2018 Jan;19:15-196
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<a id="f6" href="#a6">[6]</a> Okbay A. et al. (2016). Genetic variants associated with subjective well-being, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism identified through genome-wide analyses. Nature Genetics volume 48, pages 624–633
</footer><footer class="footnotes"><a id="f7" href="#a7">[7]</a> Lo MT et al. (2017) Genome-wide analyses for personality traits identify six genomic loci and show correlations with psychiatric disorders. Nat Genet. 2017 Jan;49(1):152-156.</footer><footer class="footnotes"><a id="f8" href="#a8">[8]</a> Salm MPA, et al. The origin, global distribution, and functional impact of the human 8p23 inversion polymorphism. Genome Res. 2012;22(6):1144–1153.</footer><footer class="footnotes"><a id="f9" href="#a9">[9]</a> Locke AM et al. Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology. Nature. 2015 Feb 12; 518(7538): 197–206.</footer><footer class="footnotes"></footer><footer class="footnotes"></footer>



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Hangry Like The Wolf

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re taking a moment to highlight how anyone can be there for the people in their lives by starting a conversation about mental health. 

Whether it’s through advocating on someone’s behalf, or by simply listening, there are many ways to demonstrate your support. Now, 23andMe has added another way to help called Friends of Depression and Bipolar. As the first phase of 23andMe’s <a href="https://www.23andme.com/depression-bipolar/">depression and bipolar study</a> draws to a close, we have launched this next phase of the study that focuses on individuals who do not have a diagnosis of depression or bipolar and are interested in participating in the research. As part of this effort, we are recruiting 25,000 existing 23andMe customers who do not have a diagnosis of depression or bipolar. The research from this next part of the study will help scientists to understand if certain genetic markers and lifetime experiences are more common in people living with these illnesses. 

“As someone who works in the mental health space, I am regularly reminded of the importance of language.,” said Annie Blaine, the Marketing + Development Manager, Bring Change 2 Mind. “A kind word, an understanding tone, and a listening ear go further than any of us could ever imagine. These moments of empathy are invaluable for creating connection and for erasing stigma. And, as someone who has loved ones who are taking part in 23andMe’s depression and bipolar study, I know how critical this research is for providing hope. In the world of uncertainty that often surrounds mental illness, this study offers a chance for the answers and solutions that we are all seeking to lead full and productive lives.” 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Mental-Health-Awareness-Month-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-26202" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Mental-Health-Awareness-Month-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Mental-Health-Awareness-Month-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Mental-Health-Awareness-Month-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Mental-Health-Awareness-Month-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Mental-Health-Awareness-Month-1180x787.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />


Participants in Friends of Depression and Bipolar will be asked to complete the same research activities as those participants living with depression or bipolar. Along the way, scientists will compare survey responses, cognitive assessments, and genetic data from both groups and try to identify what makes people living with depression and bipolar unique. In the first few weeks of enrollment, we have already recruited over 6,000 participants. 

Participating in research is just one of many ways to create more awareness and to support everyone living with a mental illness. Another way is talking about mental health with the people in your life. But, whether you are living with a mental illness or you want to reach out to someone about their mental health, we know that initiating these conversations is often daunting. That’s why we’re excited to share some resources developed by Bring Change to Mind (BC2M) that address this exact concern. 

BC2M is a national organization focused on ending the stigma surrounding mental illness through encouraging dialogue and raising awareness, understanding, and empathy. Additionally, BC2M acts as a portal to a broad coalition of organizations that provide mental health services, screening, information, support, and treatment. 
BC2M believes that every individual who speaks out inspires another. And another. Which is how we’ll end the stigma around mental illness. But, BC2M also recognizes that one of the biggest challenges in discussing mental health is getting started. So, BC2M developed a <a href="https://bringchange2mind.org/talk/talk-tool/">Talk Tool</a>, which was launched as part of their fifth PSA, <a href="https://bringchange2mind.org/learn/psas/talk-to-anyone">Talk to Anyone</a>, to offer helpful tips on how to start conversations that touch on various diagnoses and relationships. Not every conversation will be perfect, but each one fights the stigma around mental illness. And, that’s a conversation worth having. <a href="https://bringchange2mind.org/talk/talk-tool">Visit the BC2M Talk Tool today, and start your own mental health conversation!</a> <a href="https://bringchange2mind.org/talk/talk-tool"></a>

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Starting today, we&#8217;re providing an easy way for our customers to share and crowdsource treatments they use to manage common health conditions, like depression, asthma, <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/new-23andme-report-on-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder">ADHD</a> and migraine.
<h6>Conditions Pages</h6>
All 23andMe Health + Ancestry service customers will be able to learn about the effectiveness and popularity of hundreds of different treatments for common conditions — and will also be able to contribute their own personal experiences. Crowdsourced treatment ratings are just one facet of our new <a href="https://you.23andme.com/research/condition/">Condition Pages</a>, which contain database insights on 18 <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-another-important-condition-to-health-communities">common health conditions</a>.
Each condition page includes scientifically curated information describing the condition, its genetic and non-genetic influences, as well as how common it is in 23andMe research participants.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26135 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Conditions-PageDepression.jpg" alt="An image from the health conditions page showing results around depression." width="890" height="681" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Conditions-PageDepression.jpg 890w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Conditions-PageDepression-300x230.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Conditions-PageDepression-768x588.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Conditions-PageDepression-880x673.jpg 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 890px) 100vw, 890px" />
The treatment section summarizes what 23andMe customers with these conditions say works or does not work in treating their condition.
<h6>Treatments Page</h6>
This kind of crowd-sourced tool allows individuals with say, depression, to see what other customers say is effective or not effective in treating the condition. This offers people a different kind of information than they could get simply by doing a Google search, because it comes from others like them living with the same conditions.
Since rolling out the treatment pages over the past few weeks, thousands of people have already contributed over 30,000 personal reviews of their responses to different treatments. This is allowing people to <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-another-important-condition-to-health-communities">build communities</a> that share common conditions but have different strategies for dealing with them. At 23andMe, we believe in helping our customers manage their health — not just through <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/">genetic reports</a>, but also by giving them access to lots of useful, relevant information.
“It’s evident by the growing response from our customers that there is a real desire for information around health treatments,” says Jessie Inchauspe, the product manager who spearheaded work on the treatment pages. “It’s important to enable people to actively engage in sharing health information with each other.”
This is the first time we’ve enabled customers to share real-time health information with one another.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26134 size-large" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Treatment-effectivenss-1024x946.jpg" alt="A page from the health conditions feature that shows an example of how people report what they do for their depression including using medication and exercise and how they rate its effectiveness." width="1024" height="946" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Treatment-effectivenss-1024x946.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Treatment-effectivenss-300x277.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Treatment-effectivenss-768x710.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Treatment-effectivenss-880x813.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Treatment-effectivenss-1180x1090.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Treatment-effectivenss.jpg 1554w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
For example, you can see here the most <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/what-patients-say-works-for-bipolar-disorder">effective treatments for depression</a> reported by 23andMe customers. These include therapy, exercise, and antidepressants such as Zoloft and Wellbutrin.
<h6>Crowdsourced Information</h6>
You can also see what treatments could potentially lead to worse outcomes. For example, based on the data shared for asthma, inhalers were among the most used and most effective treatment, but they also included some cases where the symptoms got worse. However, “avoiding allergens” was a relatively effective approach without any potential negative effects.
Many treatments are designed for the average patient in mind, but few of us are actually average. We are each unique, and understanding those differences — even small ones — is essential to learn how to better treat conditions and make medical care more personalized. Genetics certainly offers important insight into how we differ in response to treatments. Allowing people to have a place to share their own experience will also aid in our understanding.
For now, the purpose of these pages is to share this crowdsourced information on the effectiveness of treatments. But the information could at some people aid in research into how people of different ethnicities or different genetic makeups respond differently to treatments.

Crowdsource Treatments for Health Conditions

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have identified more than a dozen new genetic variants associated with depression, offering more details of the influence genetics has on the condition, which affects more than 322 million people worldwide.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/iStock_000009024892XSmall.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-17675" height="310" width="387" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/iStock_000009024892XSmall.jpg 387w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/iStock_000009024892XSmall-300x240.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 387px) 100vw, 387px" />
The study — funded by the science charity <a href="https://wellcome.ac.uk/about-us">Wellcome Trust</a> — was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03819-3">Nature Communications</a> and used data from more than 300,000 people that are part of the<a href="http://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/"> UK Biobank</a>. Researchers identified almost 17 genetic variants associated with depression, and the findings were then replicated against data from a similar-sized dataset that consisted of 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research.
While twin studies have long shown a strong genetic influence for depression, pinpointing the genes and genetic variants involved has been elusive until only the last few years. Access to new and very large data sets is revealing genetic associations that could not be seen before in smaller studies.
“These new findings help us better understand the causes of depression and show how the UK Biobank study and big data research has helped advance mental health research,” said Professor <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/clinical-brain-sciences/news/news-jan-jun-2018/genes-trigger-depression">Andrew McIntosh</a>, Ph.D., of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and the lead author of the study.
The UK Biobank data includes individuals with depression classified in three different categories: clinically diagnosed major depressive disorder, self-diagnosed “probable” major depressive disorder, and a third category defined as broad depression that may also include traits such as anxiety. The researchers found associations across all three categories and identified 17 genetic variants associated with depression. While a few of these variants have been identified in other studies to be associated with depression, 14 of the associations are new. Those genetic variants influenced genes involved in the function of synapses in the brain.
&#8220;This study identifies genes that potentially increase our risk of depression, adding to the evidence that it is partly a genetic disorder,” said David Howard, Ph.D., a co-lead author of the study and a Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh&#8217;s Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences.  “The findings also provide new clues to the causes of depression and we hope it will narrow down the search for therapies that could help people living with the condition.&#8221;
Separate to this work, 23andMe has worked on other studies investigating depression. In 2016, along with Massachusetts General Hospital and Pfizer, we published findings in what was by far the<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/ng.3623"> largest study</a> of its kind focused on major depressive disorder. In that study, researchers identified 15 new genetic regions linked to depression. And last year 23andMe launched a<a href="https://www.23andme.com/depression-bipolar/"> depression and bipolar disorder study</a>, quickly enrolling 15,000 people with major depressive disorder. That work is ongoing, and we look forward to continuing to contribute to advances in depression research.

Study Finds New Genetic Associations for Depression

By many external measures Elon Musk, the wildly successful CEO and founder of<a href="http://www.tesla.com/"> Tesla</a> and<a href="http://www.spacex.com/"> SpaceX</a>, should be happy, but opening up recently about his experience with depression reveals that no one is immune to mental illness.
In a conversation on Twitter, Musk<a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/elon-musk-admits-to-unrelenting-stress-says-he-may-be-bipolar-2017-07-31"> spoke about</a> his “great highs, terrible lows, and unrelenting stress.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-Tweet-1-1024x602.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-25858" width="1024" height="602" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-Tweet-1-1024x602.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-Tweet-1-300x176.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-Tweet-1-768x452.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-Tweet-1-880x517.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-Tweet-1-1180x694.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-Tweet-1.png 1238w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
While doctor&#8217;s note that a diagnosis can only be made by a psychiatrist, Musk has questioned whether he may have bipolar disorder. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-3-1024x476.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-25860" width="1024" height="476" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-3-1024x476.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-3-300x139.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-3-768x357.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-3-880x409.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-3-1180x548.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elon-Musk-3.png 1218w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
Whatever afflicts Musk, his openness sheds much-needed light on mental health concerns that are often kept in the shadows, and that disclosure is timely.  Depression doesn’t discriminate, and Musk’s willingness to be so open also helps to destigmatize an illness which impacts so many people worldwide. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/iStock-623285570-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-25838" width="1024" height="682" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/iStock-623285570-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/iStock-623285570-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/iStock-623285570-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/iStock-623285570-880x586.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/iStock-623285570-1180x786.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/iStock-623285570.jpg 1255w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
Organizations such as <a href="http://bringchange2mind.org/">Bring Change to Mind</a> with educational programs and social media campaigns like #strongerthanstigma, are working hard to end the fear around talking about mental illness, inform people about them, and open up dialogue. The attention could help people better understand depression and what distinguishes the clinical diagnosis from situational feelings of sadness, as well as what differentiates bipolar disorder from major depressive disorder. (You can find out more about bipolar disorder <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml">here</a>, and major depressive disorder <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml">here</a>.) 
While advocacy groups and others are trying to educate and end the stigma, scientists are doing their best to better understand the causes and potential treatments for these illnesses. 
In 2016, in what was then the<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ng.3623.epdf?shared_access_token=2L701P0aoTugcpIZV_UxDtRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0PP-e6MaKfwdoFYRj8g9D1xDb6bJ1uGA1UjyIKokNVDLTnRuKcWMhh79nIxx72yX9SVmCk7BF6wsPtOYEwU_jusesdKi0iT9c3E5z3SwC0sXWsNXiGGmHdldHOLvCJ7EvE%3D"> largest study</a> of its kind focused on major depressive disorder, researchers from Pfizer, Massachusetts General Hospital and 23andMe identified new genetic variants associated with depression. Earlier this year 23andMe launched a first-of-its kind study on <a href="https://www.23andme.com/depression-bipolar/">Major Depressive and Bipolar Disorders</a> in collaboration with <a href="http://www.milkeninstitute.org/">The Milken Institute</a> and <a href="http://www.lundbeck.com/global/brain-disorders/disease-areas/depression">Lundbeck</a>. Reflecting perhaps the broad interest and need for this kind of research, we were able to recruit 25,000 people for this study in record time. 
More than 16 million Americans are affected by depression each year, and nearly 6 million Americans live with bipolar disorder, according to statistic from the National Institutes of Health. And these conditions don’t discriminate hitting young and old, wealthy and poor alike. 
A 2015 study found that<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/austen-heinzs-suicide-and-depression-in-startups-2015-7?r=US&#038;IR=T"> 30 percent of entrepreneurs</a> like Musk experience depression, so high achievement doesn’t necessarily keep you from getting stuck in the doldrums. Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill, for example, both<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3734903/From-Mahatma-Gandhi-Abraham-Lincoln-Great-leaders-mental-illness-triumphed-result.html"> famously wrote about suffering from depression</a>.
According to the<a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2017/world-health-day/en/"> latest estimates from the WHO</a>, more than 300 million people are now living with depression worldwide, an increase of more than 18 percent between 2005 and 2015. A lack support for people with mental illness, along with a fear of stigma, prevents many from accessing the treatment they need.

The point is that there are many people impacted by depression and that, is in part, one of the reasons 23andMe is so committed to studying it. That interest extends beyond just 23andMe, to the now thousands of individuals who have joined our study.

depression — Page 2