A person who has one or both parents with mental illness is more likely to develop mental illness
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If you have a mental disorder and are considering having children or already have children, one of the questions you are probably asking yourself is whether you could pass your mental disorder on to your child. IncidenceAccording to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 25% of US adults (ages 18 and older) and about 13% of US children (ages 8 to 15) are diagnosed with a mental disorder each year. Examples of mental disorders include:
Diagnosing Mental DisordersDoctors diagnose mental disorders based on the signs and symptoms of the individual patient. Doctors use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) to assist in diagnosing mental disorders. There are no genetic tests to confirm a diagnosis of mental disorder. Because experiences and environment play an important role in the development of a mental disorder, no genetic test will ever be able to tell with absolute certainty who will and who will not develop a mental disorder. What does it mean if a mental disorder seems to run in my family?The chance of an individual having a specific mental disorder is higher if other family members have that same mental disorder. Even though a mental disorder may run in a family, there may be considerable differences in the severity of symptoms among family members. This means that one person in the family may have a mild case, while someone else has a more severe case of the mental disorder. Mental disorders, however, do not follow typical patterns of inheritance. Causes of Mental DisordersMost mental disorders are caused by a combination of multiple genetic and environmental factors. This is called multifactorial inheritance. Many other common medical problems such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and asthma also undergo multifactorial inheritance. Environmental factorsEnvironmental factors contributing to the development of mental disorders include:
Environmental factors alone do not cause mental disorders. Genetic factors also play a part in developing a mental disorder. Genetic factorsGenetic factors contributing to the development of mental disorders include:
Remember…Mental disorders are the result of both genetic and environmental factors. There is no single genetic switch that when flipped causes a mental disorder. Consequently, it is difficult for doctors to determine a person's risk of inheriting a mental disorder or passing on the disorder to their children. The causes of mental disorders are complex, requiring many interacting genes and environmental factors. Additional Information:
Last Updated11/21/2015SourceSection on Genetics and Birth Defects (Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Pediatrics)The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances. Who is more at risk of developing a mental illness?Mental illness is more common in people whose blood relatives also have a mental illness. Certain genes may increase your risk of developing a mental illness, and your life situation may trigger it. Environmental exposures before birth.
Does having one mental illness make you more likely to have another?In a recent study published in January 2019, Oleguer Plana-Ripoll from Aarhus University in Denmark and his colleagues analyzed records from close to six million Danes. They found that being affected with one mental disorder increased the risk of developing another — pointing to their possible relatedness.
Who is most likely to develop mental?Some are more likely to be noticed in children or adolescents while others do not appear until adulthood. The National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) found that, generally, more men than women report any mental illness: 21.2 percent of men compared to 14.8 percent of women report mental illness in general.
Can mental illness be passed down through family?Scientists have long recognized that many psychiatric disorders tend to run in families, suggesting potential genetic roots. Such disorders include autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia.
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