In a study published in October in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, researchers find one’s genetic risk for mental health conditions can influence where a person chooses to live. This isn’t to say that environment doesn’t play a role in the development of mental health conditions. Instead, the study team calls for more integrated approaches when it comes to exploring, and addressing, what causes these conditions.
The team calculated the polygenetic risk score for each participant for various mental health conditions. A polygenetic risk score is a measurement of disease risk based on a person’s genes — it’s an estimation and most people have some level of genetic risk for mental health conditions.
The scores were compared to data associated to:
- Where the study participants live
- Where they’ve moved
- The population density of these places, based on UK census data
Overall, the study team writes, these “findings suggest a high genetic risk for a variety of psychiatric disorders may affect an individual’s choice of residence.”
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“Where an individual lives is obviously a highly complex matter, influenced both by things within their control and things outside of their control,” [study co-author Jonathan] Coleman says.
