A MUTATION has been discovered that almost always causes severe depressive disorders in women who have it. The finding shows that in at least some cases, genes can play a key role in determining our mental state.
The mutation, in a gene known as CREB1, is rare, but 9 out of the 11 women in whom it has been discovered so far suffer from episodes of severe depression, a team at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania reports. That is the strongest link between a genetic mutation and a mental illness ever reported. “The Huntington’s disease gene is rare, but…
