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Genetics and mental illness

When you have a brother or sister affected by mental illness, you might feel worried about whether or not you are at an increased risk of experiencing a mental illness yourself.

Does mental illness run in families?

Mother and daughter, standing close together, smiling, portrait poseAlthough no specific genes have been identified in mental illness, is has been observed through various studies that mental illness can run in families. However, there are many other factors involved in developing a mental illness and just because someone in your family has a mental illness, this does not mean that you will also develop a mental illness.

Having a relative with mental illness does increase your risk of experiencing a mental illness compared to the general population, for instance, where the lifetime risk of experiencing schizophrenia is 1%, for identical twins, the risk of developing schizophrenia rises to 48%.

For siblings who are not identical twins, the risk is about 10%, and this means that for non-identical siblings the it is far more likely that they will not develop a mental illness.

“My main concerns are whether I have a pre-disposition to getting any mental illness, will my children...and I wonder when I'm feeling down if it's related or it's part of the normal ups & downs that people typically have.”

Lifestyle choices

It is always helpful to be aware of things that you can do to look after your mental health and can be especially so for those who have a family history of mental illness.

Things that you can do to look after your own mental health generally include:

  • Having a healthy diet
  • Taking regular exercise
  • Getting enough sleep
  • Trying to avoid excessive stress as far as possible
  • Avoiding the use of street drugs like cannabis

Genetics counselling

If you are worried about the genetic risks of mental illness then you may like to talk through your situation with your GP who may be able to advise you of a service within your NHS Trust that provides genetics counselling.

“I wonder to what extent it is genetically based. In particular not for myself as I am confident I am not affected, but will I pass it on to any children I have?”

Genetics counselling can help you look at the likelihood that you or children you may be planning to have will develop a mental illness.

Thinking about your own mental health

Having a sibling with a mental illness may leave you more 'tuned in' to your mental health and you might find yourself being more self-aware of how you are feeling. This in itself is not a bad thing. It can be good to bear in mind that mental health is something that can go up and down in all of us, such as feeling anxious or stressed about a work project, or low after somebody passes away, and also to know when it is a good idea to seek help or support for how you are feeling.

Rethink Siblings factsheet - Genetics and mental illness

Download the Rethink Siblings factsheet on Genetics and mental illness.