Is mental illness genetic?
My late mother spent most of her adult life on mental wards. I would like to know what the chances are of any of her children inheriting this illness in later adult life. Can mental illnesses be inherited? If so, which ones? Sophie Corlett says: No-one knows what causes mental health problems, even though there has been a huge amount of research into this. Just because your mother was unwell for long periods, this does not necessarily mean that you will experience any kind of mental health problem. It is thought that mental health problems are caused by a mixture of childhood experiences, environmental causes such as housing, as well as being triggered by life events such as bereavement, though inheritance may be a factor too. It is thought that there is more of a genetic link for bi-polar disorder (manic depression) than there is for unipolar depression (depression without ‘highs’). You might find genetic counselling helpful, or you may want to talk through with someone how you can le
