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Receiving support from others could help ease the impact from genetic risk for depression. Researchers from the University of Michigan found that individuals with a high genetic risk for developing depression most benefit from a nurturing social environment. [More]

Imagine if Aristotle could have proven his philosophical theories with science in 332 BC? Well, if he were born today, he might have been able to show how we each differ in our belief in what constitutes the meaning of life based on our genetic make-up. [More]

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe neurological brain disorder which can gravely affect a person’s functioning at many different levels. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about 2.6 million Americans are affected by the illness whose debilitating challenges are often extended to their families. [More]

A new study in the June issue of Emotion found a connection between people with the short version of gene 5-HTTLPR and a more significant sense of humor. The study looked at 336 adults, showing them humorous comics and film clips, and rating the participants intensities of smiles or laughter. Those with the shorter alleles had more intense reactions of laughter or smiles and rated the comics or film clips as funnier than those with the longer alleles of the same gene. In past research, the 5-HTTLPR gene has been linked to regulating serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is thought to be related to mood fluctuations. [More]

The overall message from the research seems to be that the development of addiction is a complex interaction between biology and environment. As with any health condition, the more risk factors an individual has for developing a problem, the more there needs to be an awareness of the need for protective/prevention based behaviors and for identification of early warning signs of a problem. [More]

As our understanding of the biological and genetic factors that contribute to the development of these disorders, it becomes easier to see these behavioral health disorders as real diseases—like diabetes or heart disease, which can also run in families. But, how might our relatively recent increased understanding of genetics and biology impact how people with mental illness are perceived and treated in our society? Will this understanding help to decrease stigma, or will it further fuel stigma for people living with behavioral health disorders? [More]

One of the most controversial topics out there today has to do with mental illness and its diagnosis in children. A lot of people claim that, especially in the United States, there are a lot of people that have been diagnosed with mental illnesses that really don't need the treatment that they are getting. Whether that is the truth or not (and it's likely not), the topic always comes back to children. Can children be diagnosed with mental health issues? [More]

Quick: what do bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, autism, and attention-deficient hyper-activity disorder all have in common? A portion of each of them can be attributed to the same genetic mutations (Cross-Disorder Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, 2014). It is not at all surprising that psychiatric disorders can be inherited. What is eye-opening is that the same genetic mutation is implicated in more than one mental illness. [More]

The classic sign of Schizophrenia is hearing voices that other people don’t hear. Schizophrenics may believe that others are reading their mind, controlling their thought, or plotting to harm them. Conversations with schizophrenics may not make a lot of sense. Because schizophrenics may sit for hours without moving or talking they may seem fine until they relate what they are thinking. Schizophrenia is a life-long debilitating disease that affects about 1% of all Americans. [More]