How Genetic Is Mental Illness Actually? Heritability Estimates for Mental Health The Role Genes Play

Explore the genetic influences on mental health. Understand heritability estimates for disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.
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If one of your family members has a mental illness, does that mean you’re more likely to have it too? Can you inherit a mental illness from a parent? If your mom has, let’s say, social anxiety disorder, and you do too, does that mean that she passed it down genetically or that because she didn’t take you out much, and you watched her being nervous around other people- that you learned to be anxious around other people?

In this video we’re going to talk about heritability estimates- what the research has to tell us about how much genes contribute to mental health. You’ll learn which disorders have the highest rates of heritability and how understanding this can help you make better choices.

So we’re going to jump in to the numbers behind mental health heritability real quick, but first let me clarify a few things. There are no mental health conditions that I know of that are 100% genetic. There is no single gene for any condition, there is not a “depression gene” or “bipolar gene”. Mental health conditions are caused by a whole bunch of complicated interplays between a bunch of genes and our environment and how we think.

The old debate “nature or nurture?” has given way to a much more nuanced exploration of how Nurture- the experiences we have, turn on or turn off various genes (Nature). This is called epigenetics. So research shows that someone who experiences trauma, for example, is much more likely to develop depression or diabetes, because some genes get turned on by those experiences. And even more, those genes that get turned on are more likely to get passed on. So our experiences interplay with our biology in a way that scientists are just beginning to explore.

But, that being said, biological influences do exist and researchers have been able to study this in 2 ways- 1. by comparing twins and 2. researching people that were adopted and raised in a completely different environment than their biological parents. So really smart statisticians and researchers have looked at lots of data and estimated how much genetics contribute to mental illness.

OK, so that being said, let’s look at the numbers: Heritability Estimates
(Check my sources on my blog)

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Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/c...

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