Researchers have found a genetic link between a type of depression and schizophrenia, a finding which may prompt better mental health care for people suffering from either condition.

The study, carried out by the University of Edinburgh, looked into the causes of depression, an illness which affects around one in five people in the UK.

There is no physical test for diagnosing depression, which is why highlighting links between specific diseases and poor mental health can help in targeting patients to prevent or treat illnesses correctly.

The study

Researchers looked at samples provided by Generation Scotland, a bank of human tissue from volunteers, to look for genetic causes of depression.

They looked at whether people known to have genes putting them at risk of schizophrenia shared a genetic make-up with those who suffer from depression.

The team concluded that a distinct group of people with depression also carried the same genetic risk for schizophrenia, diseases which share similar symptoms such as low mood and neuroticism.

Heather Whalley, senior research fellow in the University of Edinburgh’s division of psychiatry, said: “Depression is a serious and disabling condition yet we know very little about what causes it.

“There appears to be a distinct form of depression based on the risk of schizophrenia.

“The more we know about the causes of different forms of depression, the more likely it is that we can develop better ways of diagnosing and treating what is a major cause of disability and trauma for so many people.”

The findings are published in the journal Translational Psychiatry.