A groundbreaking study has revealed a significant genetic connection between happiness and psychiatric disorders.

The joint research was led by Professor Hong Hee Won and Researcher Yae-Eun Ahn of the Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University / Samsung Medical Center; Professor Woojae Myung from the Department of Psychiatry at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital; and former clinical fellow Dr. Jinyoung Jung from Samsung Medical Center (currently affiliated with the Armed Forces Guri Hospital). Their findings were published in a recent issue of Nature Human Behaviour (Impact Factor: 21.4), under the title:
"Polygenic overlap between subjective well-being and psychiatric disorders and cross-ancestry validation."

Subjective well-being, which encompasses individuals’ perceived happiness and life satisfaction, plays a crucial role in shaping personal behavior and health. It is estimated that around 40% of subjective well-being is influenced by genetic factors.

Focusing on the known correlation between low subjective well-being and mental disorders such as depression, the research team set out to identify genetic links between happiness and psychiatric conditions.

Using genome data from approximately 650,000 individuals of European ancestry and 110,000 Korean individuals, the study examined the genetic correlations between subjective well-being and 14 psychiatric or neurological disorders, including: ▲Major depressive disorder (MDD) ▲Bipolar disorder type I and II ▲Schizophrenia ▲Generalized anxiety disorder ▲Anorexia nervosa ▲Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) ▲Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ▲Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) ▲Tourette syndrome ▲Alcohol use disorder ▲Cannabis use disorder ▲Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) ▲Alzheimer’s disease

The analysis revealed that seven of these ▲major depressive disorder, ▲bipolar I disorder, ▲schizophrenia, ▲anorexia nervosa, ▲ADHD, ▲cannabis use disorder, and ▲ASD share genetic variants with subjective well-being.

This suggests that many of the genetic variants influencing mental disorders also affect how happy people feel. Even when symptoms are managed through medication or therapy, patients may still struggle to improve their sense of well-being, increasing the likelihood of relapse.

Notably, 93% of the genetic variants associated with depression were also linked to subjective happiness.

The team also identified new genes associated with both subjective well-being and psychiatric conditions. For example, genes such as ZMYND8 and LINC02163 were found to influence emotional regulation, this is the first time these genes have been linked to this function. 

These genes were primarily expressed in brain regions such as the basal ganglia, frontal lobe, cerebellar hemisphere, amygdala, and hippocampus, which are closely associated with psychiatric disorders.

Professor Hong Hee Won commented: “This study reconfirms the strong genetic connection between subjective well-being and psychiatric disorders. Understanding the genetic composition of happiness can provide essential insight for identifying the causes of mental illness and developing effective treatments.”

Professor Woojae Myung added: “Many patients continue to have trouble feeling happiness even after their psychiatric symptoms are treated. These residual symptoms significantly impact their quality of life. If we can unravel the molecular mechanisms linking mental disorders and happiness, we may be able to develop new treatments that target these lingering challenges.”

This study was supported by the Basic Research Program (Mid-Career Researcher Program) of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea, the Naver Digital Bio Innovation Research Fund, and the Physician-Scientist Training Program of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI).

※ Paper Information

· Journal : Nature Human Behaviour (IF 21.4)

· Title : Polygenic overlap between subjective well-being and psychiatric disorders and cross-ancestry validation

· Link : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02155-z