Depression blood test for teens may lead to better treatment, less stigma

Researchers are hopeful that diagnosing depression may soon be as easy as diagnosing high cholesterol. A new study describes a blood test that that distinguished depression among teenagers.
For the study, Redei’s team looked at 14 adolescents with untreated major depression and 14 non-depressed teens, all between 15 and 19 years old. The researchers ran the experimental blood test looking for 26 genetic markers that had been identified by earlier rat studies. In comparing depressed teens with non-depressed ones, the researchers distinguished 11 of the markers may be tied to depression.
“These 11 genes are probably the tip of the iceberg because depression is a complex illness,” Redei said in the statement. “But it’s an entree into a much bigger phenomenon that has to be explored. It clearly indicates we can diagnose from blood and create a blood diagnosis test for depression.”
A closer look showed 18 of the 26 markers distinguished between major depression and a subtype of the disorder, major depression with anxiety. That might help lead to more specific treatments, the researchers said.