A gene has been linked to the mental illness which impacts over 300 million people across the globe, according to The Independent. 

In a recent study, the genetic makeup of almost 2,000 people in an isolated village in the south west Netherlands was studied. 

Researchers at the Erasmus University Medical Centre in the Netherlands and the Russian Academy of Sciences in Novosibirsk aimed to gain further understanding of this far-reaching mental illness. It was found that the NKPD1 gene encouraged a four percent rise in one's chance of experiencing the symptoms of depression, such as feelings of worthlessness, lack of focus and fatigue.

Researchers claim that genetic makeup plays a role in one's risk of developing a mental illness, however environmental factors should definitely not be discarded.

Researchers claim that genetic makeup plays a role in one's risk of developing a mental illness, however environmental factors should definitely not be discarded. 

The data used by scientists in this latest study originated from the Erasmus Ruchpen Family study into 22 families who have been isolated in The Netherlands until recent decades. The gene pool being small, increased chances of rare variants, such as the NKPD1 gene.

The results of the research were then reflected in a sample of people who illustrated the public, although different variants within the NKPD1 gene were identified. 

“We are the first to show a possible genetic connection in this respect,” the Erasmus University Medical Centre's co-author Najaf Amin stated.