The American journal of psychiatry
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The authors investigated the relative importance of genetic and environmental influences on perinatal depression, and the genetic overlap between perinatal depression and nonperinatal depression. ⋯ The heritability of perinatal depression was estimated at 54% and 44%, respectively, in separate samples, and the heritability of nonperinatal depression at 32%. One-third of the genetic contribution was unique to perinatal depression and not shared with nonperinatal depression, suggesting only partially overlapping genetic etiologies for perinatal depression and nonperinatal depression. The authors suggest that perinatal depression constitutes a subset of depression that could be prioritized for genomic discovery efforts. The study findings have direct translational impact that can assist clinicians in the counseling of their patients regarding risk and prognosis of perinatal depression.