Genetic and environmental contributions to depression in Sri Lanka

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Ball, Harriet A.; Sumathipala, Athula; Siribaddana, Sisira H.; Kovas, Yulia; Glozier, Nick; McGuffin, Peter and Hotopf, Matthew. 2009. Genetic and environmental contributions to depression in Sri Lanka. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 195(6), pp. 504-509. ISSN 0007-1250 [Article]

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.109.063529

Abstract or Description

Background:
Susceptibility to depression results from genetic and non-familially shared environmental influences in high-income, western countries. Environments may play a different role for populations in different contexts.

Aims:
To examine heritability of depression in the first large, population-based twin study in a low-income country.

Method:
Lifetime depression and a broader measure of depression susceptibility (D-probe) were assessed in 3908 adult twins in Sri Lanka (the CoTASS study).

Results:
There were gender differences for the broad definition (D-probe), with a higher genetic contribution in females (61%) than males (4%). Results were similar for depression, but the prevalence was too low to estimate heritability for males.

Conclusions:
Genetic influences on depression in women appear to be at least as strong in this Sri Lankan sample as in higher-income countries. Conclusions are less clear for men but suggest a larger role for environments rather than genes. The nature as well as the magnitude of environmental influences may also differ across populations.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.109.063529