# Massive study: (620k people) debunks "depression genes."

submitted by vintologi_se from (self.AgainstPsychiatry)

Colorado.edu:

A new University of Colorado Boulder study assessing genetic and survey data from 620,000 individuals found that the 18 most highly-studied candidate genes for depression are actually no more associated with it than randomly chosen genes.
The previous studies were incorrect—or “false positives”—and the scientific community should abandon what are known as “candidate gene hypotheses,” the authors conclude.
“This study confirms that efforts to find a single gene or handful of genes which determine depression are doomed to fail,” said lead author Richard Border, a graduate student and researcher at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics...
“Any time someone claims to have identified the gene that ‘causes’ a complex trait is a time to be skeptical,” said lead author Richard Border.

colorado.edu/today/2019/04/02/do-depression-genes-exist-its-not-so-simple-new-study-concludes

Depression is a natural thing that everyone experiences.

Quote:

Everyone experiences some unhappiness, often as a result of a change, either in the form of a setback or a loss, or simply, as Freud said, "everyday misery." The painful feelings that accompany these events are usually appropriate, necessary, and transitory, and can even present an opportunity for personal growth.

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newinsightfulfun

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

I read an article about depression by a professor of philosophy and psychology. https://aeon.co/essays/the-voice-of-sadness-is-censored-as-sick-what-if-its-sane Her perspective is worth the read. I like the comparison of depression as a natural bodily reaction as is a fever.

Personally I would have never thought there was a gene for depression. I apologize, but laughed audibly when I saw you post...what a waist of money, IMO.

[–]vintologi_se[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

The reason you get depressed is that it is supposed to prevent you from doing stupid stuff, earlier when you were more bold it didn't work out but now when you are depressed you will hopefully be less likely to make the situation even worse. Often risk-taking isn't rewarded, most startups fail, most pokerplayers lose money, most daytraders lose money, etc.

Unfortunately people fail to realize the depression is there for a good reason.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yes, this is what I meant and she does by mentioning the fever analogy/metaphor to depression. Your post is the detail behind the idea depressions similar to depression if it is too high/deep it can be a killer.

[–]vintologi_se[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I do not agree that the study was a waste of money, the result was valuable similar to how failing to detect the ether turned out to be valuable, the michelson-morley experiment actually helped paved the way for relativity.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Ok, fair enough...I qualified my opinion by "personally" (in above comment). I feel they just proved what is common sense to me.