Genetic link in depression and schizophrenia confirmed

An international team of scientists led by University of Wollongong researcher Dr Natalie Matosin has confirmed a genetic association with severe psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. The study, published in the latest edition of Acta Neuropathologica, brought together decades of evidence from around the globe suggesting that the FKBP5 gene may raise risk to mental illness in a subset of people.

“The FKBP5 gene is one of the very few genes in psychiatry with good evidence that it raises risk of developing a mental illness such as depression, schizophrenia, PTSD and anxiety,” Dr Matosin said.