This study used Mendelian randomisation to test potential causal relationships between depression and 137 traits. Depression liability was linked to somatic diseases, inflammation, suicide risk, insomnia, lower cognitive function and functional impairments, though findings require validation.
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This Danish study of over 3 million people found that having a first-degree relative with depression increased risk 2.35-times, resulting in 15% lifetime risk (compared to 7.8% in the general population). However, 60% of depression cases occurred in people with no affected close relatives, highlighting that family history is only part of the story.
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PsyRiskMR is a new database that helps researchers investigate risk factors for common psychiatric disorders using Mendelian randomization.
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Researchers pulled together evidence from more than half a million people to test a simple but important idea: if childhood maltreatment raises the risk of adult depression, could reducing maltreatment help prevent it? The answer, as always, is more complicated than it first appears.
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What happens when childhood trauma disrupts our ability to understand what others think and feel? This systematic review pulls together 29 studies across psychiatric diagnoses to explore how early neglect and abuse shape mentalisation, and what that means for prevention, assessment, and care.
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How often do people with eating disorders switch diagnoses, recover, or relapse? This large Danish study follows more than 10,000 people over nearly a decade, uncovering patterns of remission and genetic vulnerability that could help shape more personalised care.
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People from racialised communities face higher risks of psychosis, yet racism itself is rarely studied. A new umbrella review shows why discrimination needs to be recognised as a genuine risk factor, not just a background influence.
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Psychiatric hospitalisation can save lives, but it also carries major personal and economic costs. Could early warning scores help predict who’s most at risk, allowing for earlier, more targeted support? This new BMJ Mental Health study by Taquet and colleagues explores the potential.
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High misdiagnosis rates between bipolar and major depressive disorder cause real harm to patients and services. This new neuroimaging study tested whether brain connectivity and machine learning could do a better job of telling the two apart, with interesting but limited results.
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What if perinatal mental health started in the gut? New research from Finland suggests certain bacteria may be associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy and after birth, raising questions about inflammation, causality, and the future of microbiome-based screening and treatment.
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