New research may present a breakthrough in understanding anxiety

A new study of almost 700,000 people has identified the largest number of genetic links with anxiety symptoms to date. Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health conditions worldwide. Prof Cherie Amour, School of Psychology, Queen’s University, Belfast, co-authored the study, led by King’s College London and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and published in Nature Human Behaviour.

The genome-wide association study analysed genetic data from almost 700,000 people of European ancestry to identify genetic differences associated with more severe anxiety symptoms. The research was conducted as part of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, an international group focused on large-scale psychiatric genetic studies. The findings suggest environmental influences, gene-environment interactions, and other genetic effects also contribute to anxiety risk.

The data demonstrates:
✽ 74 locations where genetic differences were linked to anxiety, including 39 novel findings
✽ Several genes, including PCLO and SORCS3, are particularly active in brain tissue and involved in communication between nerve cells
✽ Common genetic variation accounts for around 6 per cent of differences in anxiety symptom severity between people.

Prof Armour said: “Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions in our society and this study is an important step forward. It underlines that biological risk works hand-in-hand with people’s experiences and environments. Understanding both is how we’ll improve prevention and support. I hope that findings like these help us identify who may be most vulnerable, so that we can reach people earlier and offer the right support before symptoms become debilitating.”

The researchers also calculated polygenic scores for anxiety across European, African, and South Asian populations. While the findings suggest some genetic variants may be shared, more data is needed to understand population-specific risks, particularly among people of African and South Asian ancestry.

The study also identified genetic correlations between anxiety and a range of mental and physical health conditions, including depression, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain, coronary artery disease, endometriosis, and migraine.

First author Dr Megan Skelton stressed that genetic risk does not determine whether someone will develop anxiety. “It’s important to highlight that even someone with a very high genetic risk might not develop anxiety, and someone with a low genetic risk could.”

Authors