Abstract
Psychiatric conditions, known for their hereditary nature, exert significant impacts on various life domains. Leveraging this heritability, we examine the relations between genetic susceptibility to major psychiatric disorders and the multifaceted aspects of quality of life in two population-based cohorts, the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study (N = 3909 preadolescent children) and the UK Biobank (N = 269,293 adults). Genetic susceptibility to seven major psychiatric disorders was quantified by polygenic scores derived from extensive genome-wide association studies (N = 21,000-413,000). Pervasive associations were found between genetic risk for all seven major psychiatric disorders investigated and age-relevant real-life quality of life indices, with varied patterns of associations for different life domains. We especially highlight the role of genetic risks for ADHD and major depressive disorders. Our findings emphasize the continuous nature of psychiatric traits, extending their influence on daily life experiences and societal functioning beyond symptomatology and diagnostic classifications.