Approved Research

Shared and distinct mechanisms between mental disorders and noncommunicable chronic diseases: prevention, risk prediction and precision treatment

Lay summary

Mental disorders have been demonstrated to be associated with many noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCD), but causal relationships were not identified. Primary and secondary prevention, accurate prediction of risks, and precision treatment need to elucidate the mechanisms linking mental disorders (MD) to NCD and explore the role of genes, and behavioral and environmental factors. However, the shared and distinct genes and the role of genes, behavioral and environmental factors in the associations between MD and complex disease remained unclear, and lack of accurate risk prediction for NCD among people with MD.

By using the large datasets from UK Biobank, we aim to: firstly, identify the causal relationship between MD and the NCD, and identify shared and distinct genes, and biomarkers related to the comorbidity of MD and NCD; secondly, identify the role of genes, behavioral and environmental factors in the association between MD and incident and progression of the NCD; thirdly, identify genes, biomarkers, vital signs of medical imageology and develop novel risk prediction models of NCD for patients with different MD; fourthly, assess the efficacies of medication in the treatment of NCD among patients with different MD comorbidities.

This project will be lasting for 60 months, and we expected to benefit from the prevention, prediction, and intervention in the early stage and progression of NCD, and precision treatment for NCD among those comorbid with MD.