Women are prescribed twice as many SSRIs as men. About 20% of women are on them, and the reason may be genetic predisposition. One thing that seems almost definite is it has nothing to do with serotonin.
SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) are the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressant medications used to treat depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. The new study of more than 1000 genes related to personality traits also shows that the drugs we take for neurotic illnesses are not working because they aren’t tied to serotonin.
The NY Times
The Times article talks about the new findings in a major Nature study that found strong genetic reasons for mental illness, among other issues.
Researchers found 258 different genetic variants linked to extroversion, a 15-fold increase over the number previously known. A genetic profile with high extroversion seemed to reduce a person’s risk of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, all of which involve internalizing distress. But the trait was also linked to neurodevelopmental conditions such as A.D.H.D.
People predisposed to conscientiousness—or a capacity for productivity and organization—were more likely to exercise, choose low-calorie foods, and sleep well. Genetic scores for conscientiousness helped predict who would move from urban centers to affluent suburbs by age 50.
Neuroticism, which is defined as a tendency toward emotional instability, was predictably correlated with 10 different psychiatric disorders, plus a higher body mass index and increased rates of smoking. Study participants with genetic profiles high in neuroticism seemed to second-guess themselves in real time, frequently selecting options such as “I don’t know” on research survey questions.
Since neuroticism can be a strong predictor of mental illness, some researchers are particularly interested in how the new findings illuminate possible triggers and avenues of disease.
Dalton Conley, a sociologist at Princeton University who was not involved in the research, was particularly intrigued by the way the consortium’s results challenged a long-held theory among psychologists that neuroticism is primarily driven by differences in serotonin levels. Depression and anxiety are often successfully treated with medications that boost the chemical.
The new analysis showed that neuroticism variants were indeed especially active in brain cells — but revealed nothing pronounced about the serotonin system in particular. “I wouldn’t say it’s slaying that theory forever,” Dr. Conley said, “but it’s definitely casting doubt.”
So stop blaming men and society. Neurotic people have a predisposition, and the drugs do squat.