A new study published in JAMA Psychiatry has found that genetic susceptibility to anxiety and depression in children may develop through two distinct biological “pathways.”

Researchers reached this conclusion after analyzing family data, including both parents and children, which allowed them to trace how the risk of mental disorders is transmitted.

The first pathway is linked to direct genetic inheritance. In this case, a child inherits specific gene variants from their parents that directly increase the likelihood of developing anxiety or depressive disorders. This represents the classic mechanism by which genetics influence brain biology and emotional regulation.

However, the second pathway proved to be more complex and, potentially, even more intriguing. It is associated with so-called “indirect genetic effects.” In this scenario, parental genes influence not only the child’s DNA directly, but also the environment they create. For example, parents’ genetic predisposition to anxiety may shape parenting style, levels of stress within the household, or the overall emotional climate — all of which, in turn, affect the child’s mental health.

Thus, the study suggests that the risk of mental disorders in childhood is determined not only by “what is written in the genes,” but also by how those genes are expressed through behavior and environment.

The authors emphasize that this approach helps more precisely disentangle the effects of heredity and environment — a question that has long been one of the most challenging in psychiatry. It also opens new opportunities for prevention: if part of the risk operates through the family environment, interventions can be targeted not only at the child, but also at the parents.

In the long term, such findings may contribute to the development of more accurate strategies for early identification and support of at-risk children, as well as more personalized approaches to treatment.

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