00:00This study, which was the largest of its kind in the world, saw 200,000 people with major depression analysed from across Australia, Europe, the UK and the United States.
00:13And now what this study has found is that within the DNA of females there was almost twice as many genetic red flags for depression compared to males.
00:21The study found about 7,000 DNA changes that could cause depression in both sexes, but it then found an additional 6,000 changes that lead to depression in females alone.
00:31The study also found the sexes experience depression in very different ways.
00:35For females, the symptoms present themselves as weight gain and sleepiness during the day, while for men it's typically anger and engaging in risk-taking behaviours.
00:46Now it's for those reasons and the many different life experiences that men and women have and how that impacts their susceptibility to depression,
00:53that the lead researcher of this project, Dr Jodie Thomas at the QIMR Berghoffer Institute here in Brisbane, says this research is so important.
01:01I think this research is really useful in that we're looking at females and males separately.
01:06So of course that increases our understanding of female depression, but also of male depression.
01:11So this kind of technique or way of looking at the data really benefits everyone.
01:17Researchers say this study has highlighted the importance of differentiating between sex in studies,
01:23to ensure that the different life experiences and genetic make-ups of males and females are taken into account.
01:29In the case of this study, focusing on depression, the importance of the life experience and genetic markers in men and women have an enormous impact on how they should be treated and how individual cases should be managed.
01:43As a result, researchers say this is a really positive step forward in paving the way for better, more personalised treatment for major depression.
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