Kenneth S. Kendler, M.D., a professor of psychiatry and human genetics in VCU's School of Medicine and lead author on the study says, "Our work, together with colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, represents the largest epidemiological study of depression in twins done to date. In addition, it broadly replicates what has been shown by our earlier work using the Virginia Twin Registry. In particular, we have shown that depression is a moderately heritable disorder, suggesting that genetic factors are important, but by no means overwhelming."
Kendler also suggests genes alter the risk for depression in a woman's response to cyclic sex hormones, particularly in the postpartum period.
The study featured in the American Journal of Psychiatry, reports the heritability of depression is 42-percent higher in women than men.
