Women possibly twice at risk of depression than men: Study

A study has found 6,000 gene variants responsible for causing depression among women, in addition to the 7,000 of those shared with men, potentially explaining why the risk is double in women.

A gene variant is a change in the DNA sequence of gene, which can be inherited from parents or arise spontaneously in an individual.

The findings published in the journal 'Nature Communications' show that genetic factors plays a greater role in risk of depression for women than in men.

"We already know that females are twice as likely to suffer from depression in their lifetime than males," author Brittany Mitchell, senior researcher at QIMR (Queensland Institute of Medical Research) Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia, said.