Where your DNA places you among other people, and the studies behind it.
Not tailored to your result, and not medical advice
Prioritize Physical Activity: Regular physical activity is supported by strong evidence as part of treatment for depression. A 2024 network meta-analysis of 218 randomized trials found that exercise - particularly walking or jogging, strength training, and yoga - produced moderate reductions in depressive symptoms, with benefits comparable to psychotherapy or medication in many comparisons. Proposed mechanisms include increased BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), reduced inflammation, and improved stress-system regulation. BMJ (network meta-analysis, 2024)
Build and Maintain Social Connections: Loneliness and social isolation are consistently associated with higher risk of later depression, and longitudinal studies suggest the relationship is bidirectional - low mood and disconnection can reinforce each other. Regular, meaningful contact may help interrupt that cycle. When in-person connection is hard, structured activities such as volunteering or group classes can provide a low-pressure scaffold for engagement. Psychological Medicine (longitudinal study)
Protect Your Sleep: Insomnia often precedes and worsens depressive episodes, and poor sleep impairs emotional regulation and amplifies negative thinking. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended first-line treatment for chronic insomnia, and randomized trials show it can reduce insomnia and depressive symptoms together when the two co-occur. Sleep (randomized controlled trial)
Get Help Early Rather Than Waiting It Out: If depressive symptoms persist beyond a couple of weeks, a professional evaluation is worth arranging rather than waiting for them to pass. Talking therapies such as CBT and interpersonal therapy have strong evidence, and treating an episode early tends to shorten it and lower the chance of another. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Adopt an Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Emerging evidence links diet quality and systemic inflammation to mood. A Mediterranean-style pattern - rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, and low in ultra-processed foods - has been associated with lower depression risk in prospective cohorts, and one randomized trial (SMILES) reported symptom improvement from dietary support, though it was small and findings need larger replication. BMC Medicine
How much of this is genetic?
Genetics explains 37% of why people differ in this trait. The rest is environment, daily habits and chance.
Heritability estimate: Sullivan et al. 2000, Am J Psychiatry
Background and further reading
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric conditions worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that around 280 million people live with depression [1]. It is defined by persistent low mood and/or loss of interest or pleasure (anhedonia) lasting at least two weeks, alongside changes in appetite and sleep, fatigue, trouble concentrating, feelings of worthlessness, and in severe cases thoughts of death or suicide. In the United States, an estimated 8.3% of adults - about 10.3% of women and 6.2% of men - had a major depressive episode in the past year [2]. The roughly two-to-one difference between women and men is one of the most consistent findings in psychiatric epidemiology. Depression is episodic but often recurrent: many people who recover from a first episode go on to have at least one more, and risk of recurrence tends to climb with each additional episode.
Genetic Basis: Twin studies place the heritability of major depression at about 37% [3]. That is real but lower than for bipolar disorder or ADHD, which is one reason depression depends so heavily on life circumstances. The genetic architecture is highly polygenic - risk is spread across many common variants, each contributing only a tiny amount. A 2019 genome-wide meta-analysis of more than 800,000 people identified 102 independent variants and pointed to synaptic, neuronal, and prefrontal-cortex biology [4], and a larger 2023 study raised the count to 243 risk loci, implicating glutamate and GABA signalling among other pathways [5]. Common variants captured by these studies explain only around 9% of liability, well short of the twin estimate, so rarer variants and environment account for much of the rest [4]. Older candidate-gene stories - notably the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4 / 5-HTTLPR) and the idea that depression is simply a serotonin 'chemical imbalance' - have not held up in large genetic and biochemical reviews [6]; antidepressants can help without depression being reducible to low serotonin. Genetic risk overlaps substantially with anxiety, neuroticism, and insomnia.
Environmental Factors: Because heritability is around 37%, the majority of variation in depression risk traces to non-genetic factors [3]. The best-supported environmental contributors include childhood adversity (abuse, neglect, family dysfunction), chronic stress, social isolation and loneliness, bereavement, financial hardship, and chronic medical illness. Genes and environment are not independent: people carrying more genetic risk tend to be more reactive to stressful life events, and supportive circumstances can offset even elevated risk. One widely publicised version of this idea - that a specific serotonin-transporter variant (5-HTTLPR) multiplies the effect of stress - was not confirmed by large, well-powered studies and is now regarded as unreliable [6]. The broader gene-environment picture, however, remains well established.
The published research behind your score, and the variants it draws on.
20 published scores from 9 studies
The depression score combines 20 polygenic scores drawn from 9 published studies.
These traits are influenced by some of the same genes and variants as this one
Anxiety: A tendency toward generalized anxiety, chronic worry, and heightened sensitivity to stress.
Insomnia: Chronic difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or achieving restorative sleep.
Content updated August 2026.
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