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Why do so many young adults feel anxious? Is it just stress, or could there be something deeper at play? The Anxiety and Depression Association of America says that anxiety can develop from a complex set of factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events. Let’s look at why young adults may be more susceptible.
Early adulthood is full of challenging life transitions, such as:
- Academic/Career pressures
- Social/Environmental changes
- Uncertainty about the future
- Neurodevelopmental changes
- Family/Social support changes
In young adults, whose brains and stress response systems are still maturing, the interaction of these life transitions with genetic risk factors, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), may be contributing to the rising rates of anxiety seen in this age group.
SNPs: How They Are Linked to Anxiety Symptoms
SNPs are tiny variations in DNA that can affect how your body works. For instance, certain SNPs are found in or near genes that control things like how our body regulates the stress response, how our brains handle stress hormones, how well we recycle serotonin or dopamine, or how we respond to emotional triggers. Other SNPs might affect how well a person responds to certain treatments.
Yale researchers published a study in Nature Genetics looking at genome-wide information of more than 1.2 million study participants across racial and ethnic groups. They discovered 51 spots (called loci) within the genome where certain SNPs were strongly linked to anxiety risk.
How does understanding the role of genetics and SNPs help?
Knowing Your Genetics Can Help You Manage Anxiety Symptoms
Understanding your genetic predispositions, including SNPs, can have major implications for receiving more timely and effective therapies to reduce anxiety's harmful consequences.
- Personalized Interventions - Your genes can provide clues about what your body needs to stay healthy. That information can then be used to create a tailor-made wellness plan rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
- Insights Into Co-occurring Conditions - Shared genetic traits, like SNPs, can explain overlaps between anxiety and mood disorders. Understanding these shared traits can help you and your healthcare provider better manage your mental health.
- Lifestyle Adaptations - Environmental and lifestyle factors may influence changes, such as DNA methylation, in how genes are turned on or off. By making certain changes to your diet or nutritional intake, for instance, you may be able to influence whether genes are turned on or off.
What Might Future Anxiety Interventions Look Like?
Nutraceutical Research
Nutrigenomics is a field of science that explores how nutrients and dietary components influence gene activity. Nutrigemomics testing supports the creation of personalized nutrition strategies aimed at promoting health and reducing disease risk. Human research supports the use of certain nutrients (e.g., vitamin D, vitamin C, folate, magnesium) in individuals with anxiety
Precision Prevention
Early intervention translates to better outcomes. Genetic risk scoring, which estimates the cumulative contribution of genetic factors to a specific outcome, can help identify high-risk individuals to start preventative measures.
It’s clear that genes influence risk of anxiety, but genes are not destiny! Young adults are in a time of life filled with big transitions. The interaction of these transitions with genetic SNPs linked to anxiety may influence the occurrence and/or intensity of anxiety symptoms. Understanding your genetic susceptibilities is the first step to improving long-term outcomes.
FAQs
Is anxiety inherited or learned?
Genetics do play an important role related to risk. Certain genetic profiles and susceptibilities (like single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs) increase the likelihood that anxiety symptoms will manifest. Other information suggests that some people with anxiety have learned to live in unhealthy ways—more fearfully and stressfully than others—making their bodies more stressed and symptomatic. The bottom line is that anxiety appears to develop from a complex set of factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events.
Does anxiety ever go away?
Most people experience anxiety symptoms at times, whether due to family, work, money, school, or social dynamics. These symptoms usually go away as the trigger passes. On the other hand, anxiety disorders involve more than occasional worry or fear. In individuals with these disorders, anxiety is more of a constant companion to be managed and can, potentially, interfere with daily life and routine activities. Fortunately, there are many dietary, lifestyle, and nutritional interventions that can make management successful.
References
- Goodwin RD, Weinberger AH, Kim JH, Wu M, Galea S. Trends in anxiety among adults in the United States, 2008-2018: Rapid increases among young adults. J Psychiatr Res. 2020;130:441-446. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.08.014
- Hettema JM, An SS, Bukszar J, et al. Catechol-O-methyltransferase contributes to genetic susceptibility shared among anxiety spectrum phenotypes. Biol Psychiatry. 2008;64(4):302-310. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.03.014
- Friligkou E, Løkhammer S, Cabrera-Mendoza B, et al. Gene discovery and biological insights into anxiety disorders from a large-scale multi-ancestry genome-wide association study. Nat Genet. 2024;56(10):2036-2045. doi:10.1038/s41588-024-01908-2
- Kris-Etherton PM, Petersen KS, Hibbeln JR, et al. Nutrition and behavioral health disorders: depression and anxiety. Nutr Rev. 2021;79(3):247-260. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuaa025