Are Mental Health Disorders Genetic?

Can Someone Inherit a Mental Health Condition or Does It Run in the Family?

 

According to healthychildren.org, an informational website provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics, approximately 13% of children in the United States are diagnosed with a mental health disorder each year. In addition, 25% of adults are diagnosed. 

Depression affects around 10% of the population, while schizophrenia affects around 1% of the population. Substance use disorders are also common, affecting around 10% of the population, while bipolar disorder affects somewhere between 2% – 3%.

Disorders commonly diagnosed in childhood include Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) which affects 5% – 11% of the population and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which affects around 1 in 68 children.

Do Mental Health Disorders Run in the Family?

Studies show that mental health disorders can be caused by both environmental and genetic factors. Environmental factors that may contribute to a person’s mental health condition include trauma, emotional harm, and substance abuse. Genetic factors that may contribute to a person’s mental health condition include epigenetic regulation, genetic polymorphisms, or single-gene changes.

Mental disorders can affect multiple members of the family, but it isn’t clear why. As noted by healthychildren.org, “mental disorders … do not follow typical patterns of inheritance.” Furthermore, because single-gene changes are rare it is difficult for doctors to determine a “person’s risk of inheriting a mental disorder or passing the disorder to their children.”

What to Do If Someone Exhibits Signs of a Mental Disorder

If a loved one is exhibiting signs of a mental health disorder, the most important thing you can do is help them seek treatment. Only a small percentage of people with diagnosable mental health conditions ever get the treatment they need. Today, there are more options for treatment than ever. A medical professional can help the person get properly diagnosed and receive the care they need.