Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T17:13:38.445Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Genetics of Depression and Manic-Depressive Disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Peter McGuffin  and
Randy Katz
Peter McGuffin*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff
Randy Katz
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London, Department of Psychology, Toronto General Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
*
∗Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Depressive disorders are more common in the relatives of depressed probands than in the population at large, and there is compelling evidence that the familial aggregation of bipolar disorder and severe unipolar depression is at least partly due to genetic factors. However, the evidence concerning ‘non-endogenous' depression is less clear, and family environment probably plays a stronger role. Much current research is focused on two areas: firstly, the mode of inheritance of manic-depressive illness, with the use of molecular biological techniques to detect and localise major genes; and secondly, the ways in which familial predisposition and environmental insults combine to produce depressive disorder.

Type
Review Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 155 , Issue 3 , September 1989 , pp. 294 - 304
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1989 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association (1980) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn) (DSM-III). Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
Andreasen, N. C., Rice, J., Endicott, J., et al (1986) The family history approach to diagnosis. Archives of General Psychiatry, 43, 421–429.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Angst, J. (1966) Zur Atiologie und Nosologie endogener depressiver Psychosen. Monographen ans der Neurologie und Psychiatric N.112. Berlin: Springer.Google Scholar
Baron, M., Risch, N., Hamburger, R., et al (1987) Genetic linkage between X chromosome markers and manic depression. Nature, 326, 806–808.Google Scholar
Bebbington, P. (1985) Psychosocial etiology of schizophrenia and affective disorders. Psychiatry (ed.) R. Michels. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Lippincott.Google Scholar
Bebbington, P. (1987) The social epidemiology of clinical depression In Handbook of Studies on Social Psychiatry (eds A. S. Henderson & G. Burrows). Amsterdam: Elsevier.Google Scholar
Bebbington, P., Hurry, J., Tennant, C., et al (1981) Epidemiology of mental disorders in Camberwell. Psychological Medicine, 11, 561–579.Google Scholar
Bebbington, P., Brugha, T., MacCarthy, B., et al (1988) The Camberwell Collaborative Depression Study. I. Depressed probands: adversity and the form of depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 754–765.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bebbington, P., Katz, R., McGuffin, P., et al (1989) The risk of minor depression before age 65: results from a community survey. Psychological Medicine, (in press).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bertelsen, A., Harvald, B. & Hauge, M. (1977) A Danish twin study of manic-depressive disorders. British Journal of Psychiatry, 130, 330–351.Google Scholar
Brown, G. W. & Harris, T. (1978) The Social Origins of Depression. London: Tavistock.Google Scholar
Cadoret, R. (1978) Evidence for genetic inheritance of primary affective disorder in adoptees. American Journal of Psychiatry, 133, 463–466.Google Scholar
Detera-Wadleigh, S. D., Berretin, W. H., Goldin, L. R., et al (1987) Close linkage of C-Harvey ras-1 and the insulin gene to affective disorder is ruled out in three North American pedigrees. Nature, 325, 806–807.Google Scholar
Eastwood, M. R. & Kramer, P. M. (1981) Epidemiology and depression (editorial). Psychological Medicine, 11, 229–234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Egeland, J. A., Gerhard, D. S., Pauls, D. L., et al (1987) Bipolar affective disorder linked to DNA markers on chromosome 11. Nature, 325, 783–787.Google Scholar
Falconer, D. S. (1965) The inheritance of liability to certain diseases estimated from the incidence among relatives. Annals of Human Genetics, 29, 51–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Falconer, D. S. (1981) Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (2nd edn). London: Longman.Google Scholar
Farber, S. L. (1981) Identical Twins Reared Apart. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Farmer, A. E. & McGuffin, P. (1989) Classification of the depressions: Contemporary confusion revisited. British Journal of Psychiatry (in press).Google Scholar
Gershon, E. S., Mark, A., Cohen, N., et al (1975) Transmitted factors in the morbid risk of affective disorders. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 283–299.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gershon, E. S., Mendlewicz, J., Gastpar, M., et al (1980) A collaborative study of genetic linkage of bipolar manic depressive illness and red/green colour blindness. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 61, 319–338.Google Scholar
Gershon, E. S., Hamovit, J., Groff, J. J., et al (1982) A family study of schizoaffective bipolar I, bipolar II, unipolar and normal control probands. Archives of General Psychiatry, 39, 1157–1167.Google Scholar
Gill, M., McKeon, P. & Humphries, P. (1988) Linkage analysis of manic depression in an Irish family using H-ras 1 and INS DNA markers. Journal of Medical Genetics, 25, 634–637.Google Scholar
Goldin, L. R., Gershon, E. S., Targum, S. D., et al (1983) Segregation and linkage analyses in families of patients with bipolar, unipolar and schizoaffective mood disorder. American Journal of Human Genetics, 35, 274–288.Google Scholar
Hodgkinson, S., Sherrington, R., Gurling, H. M. D., et al (1987) Molecular genetic evidence for heterogeneity in manic depression. Nature, 325, 805–806.Google Scholar
James, J. (1971) Frequency in relatives for an all-or-none trait. Annals of Human Genetics, 35, 47–49.Google Scholar
Jenkins, R. (1985) Sex differences in minor psychiatric morbidity. Psychological Medicine (monograph, suppl. 7).Google Scholar
Katz, R. & McGuffin, P. (1987) Neuroticism in familial depression. Psychological Medicine, 17, 155–161.Google Scholar
Kendell, R. E. (1976) The classification of depression: a review of contemporary confusion. British Journal of Psychiatry, 129, 15–28.Google Scholar
Kendler, K. S., Heath, A. C., Martin, N. G., et al (1986) Symptoms of anxiety and symptoms of depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 451–457.Google Scholar
Kendler, K. S., Heath, A. C., Martin, N. G., et al (1987) Symptoms of anxiety and symptoms of depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 451–457.Google Scholar
Klerman, G. L., Lavori, P. N., Rice, J., et al (1985) Birth cohort trends in rates of major depressive disorder among relatives of patients with affective disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 42, 689–693.Google Scholar
Lalouel, J. M., Rao, D. L., Morton, N. E., et al (1983) A unified model for complex segregation analysis. American Journal of Human Genetics, 35, 816–826.Google Scholar
Leonhard, K. (1959) Aufteilung der Endogen Psychosen. Berlin: Akademic Verlag.Google Scholar
McGuffin, P. (1988) Major genes for major affective disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 153, 591–596.Google Scholar
McGuffin, P. & Katz, R. (1986) Nature, nurture and affective disorder In The Biology of Depression (ed.) J. W. F. Deakin, pp. 26–51. London: Gaskell.Google Scholar
McGuffin, P., Katz, R. & Bebbington, P. (1987) Hazard, heredity and affective disorder. A family study. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 21, 365–375.Google Scholar
McGuffin, P., Katz, R., Aldrich, J., et al (1988a) The Camberwell Collaborative Depression Study. II. Investigation of family members. British Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 766–775.Google Scholar
McGuffin, P., Katz, R., & Bebbington, P. (1988b) The Camberwell Collaborative Depression Study. III. Depression and adversity in the relatives of depressed probands. British Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 775–782.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mendlewicz, J. & Rainier, J. D. (1977) Adoption study supporting genetic transmission in manic-depressive illness. Nature, 268, 326–329.Google Scholar
Mendlewicz, J., Simon, P., Sevy, S., et al (1987) Polymorphic DNA marker and X chromosome and manic depression. Lancet, ii, 1230–1232.Google Scholar
Morton, N. E. (1955) Sequential tests for the detection of linkage. American Journal of Human Genetics, 7, 277–318.Google Scholar
Morton, N. E. (1956) The detection and estimation of linkage between the genes for elliptocytosis and Rh blood type. American Journal of Human Genetics, 8, 80–96.Google Scholar
Morton, N. E. (1982) Outline of Genetic Epidemiology. Basel: Karger.Google Scholar
Morton, N. E. & Maclean, C. J. (1974) Analysis of familial resemblance. III. Complex segregation analysis of quantitative traits. American Journal of Human Genetics, 26, 489.Google Scholar
Orley, J. & Wing, J. K. (1979) Psychiatric disorders in two African villages. Archives of General Psychiatry, 36, 513–520.Google Scholar
O'Rourke, D. H., McGuffin, P., Reich, T. (1983) Genetic analysis of manic-depressive illness. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 62, 51–59.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paykel, E. S. (1978) Contribution of life events to causation of psychiatric illness. Psychological Medicine, 8, 245–253.Google Scholar
Perris, C. (1966) A study of bipolar (manic depressive) and unipolar recurrent depressive psychoses. Acta Psychiatrica et Neurologica Scandinavica (suppl. 42).Google Scholar
Perris, C., Perris, H., Ericsson, U., et al (1982) The genetics of depression. A family study of unipolar and neurotic reactive depressed patients. Archives für Psychiatrica Nervenkranken, 232, 137–155.Google Scholar
Pollitt, J. (1972) The relationship between genetic and precipitating factors in depressive illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 121, 67–70.Google Scholar
Price, J. (1968) The genetics of depressive behaviour In Recent Developments in Affective Disorders (eds A. J. Coppen & A. Walk), British Journal of Psychiatry, Special Publication No. 2. Ashford: Headley Bros.Google Scholar
Reich, T., Clayton, P. J. & Winokur, G. (1969) Family history studies V. The genetics of mania. American Journal of Psychiatry, 125, 1358–1369.Google Scholar
Reich, T., James, J. W. & Morris, C. A. (1972) The use of multiple thresholds in determining the mode of transmission of semi-continuous traits. Annals of Human Genetics, 36, 163–184.Google Scholar
Reich, T., Cloninger, C. R., Suarez, B., et al (1982) Genetics of the affective disorders In Handbook of Psychiatry, vol. III, Psychosis of Uncertain Aetiology (eds J. K. Wing & L. Wing). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Rice, J., Reich, T., Andreasen, N. C., et al (1984) Sex related differences in depression-familial evidence. Journal of Affective Disorders, 7, 199–210.Google Scholar
Rice, J., Reich, T., Andreasen, N. C., et al (1987) The familial transmission of bipolar illness. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 441–447.Google Scholar
Shapiro, R. W. (1971) A twin study of non-endogenous depression. Acta Jutlandica, 42 (publication of the University of Aarhus).Google Scholar
Slater, E. & Shields, J. (1969) Genetical aspects of anxiety In Studies of Anxiety (ed.) M. H. Lader, British Journal of Psychiatry, Special Publication No. 3. Ashford: Headley Bros.Google Scholar
Slater, E. & Cowie, V. (1971) The Genetics of Mental Disorder. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Smith, C. (1974) Concordance in twins: methods and interpolation. American Journal of Human Genetics, 26, 454–466.Google Scholar
Southern, E. M. (1975) Detection of specific sequences among DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. Journal of Molecular Biology, 98, 503–517.Google Scholar
Stenstedt, A. (1952) A study in manic depressive psychosis: clinical, social and genetic investigations. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (suppl. 79).Google Scholar
Stenstedt, A. (1966) Genetics of neurotic depression. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 42, 392–409.Google Scholar
Torgersen, S. (1986) Genetic factors in moderately severe and mild affective disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 43, 222–226.Google Scholar
Sturt, E., Kumakara, N. & Der, G. (1984) How depressing life is - lifelong morbidity risk for depressive disorder in the general population. Journal of Affective Disorder, 7, 109–122.Google Scholar
Tsuang, M., Winokur, G. & Crowe, R. (1980) Morbidity risks of schizophrenia and affective disorders among first degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia, mania, depression and surgical conditions. British Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 497–504.Google Scholar
Von Knorring, A. L., Cloninger, C. R., Bodman, N., et al (1983) An adoption study of depressive disorders and substance abuse. Archives of General Psychiatry, 40, 843–950.Google Scholar
Weissman, M. M., Gershon, E., Kidd, K. K., et al (1984) Psychiatric disorders in the relatives of probands with affective disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 41, 13–21.Google Scholar
Wender, P. H., Kety, S. S., Rosenthal, D., et al (1986) Psychological disorders in the biological and adoptive relatives of individuals with affective disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 43, 923–929.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wing, J. K., Cooper, J. E. & Sartorius, N. (1974) The Measurement and Classification of Psychiatric Symptoms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Wing, J. K., Cooper, J. E. & Sturt, E. (1978) The PSD-ID-CATEGO System Supplementary Manual (mimeo). London: Medical Research Council.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1978) Mental Disorders: Glossary and Guide to their Classification in Accordance with the Ninth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9). Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.