Understanding causes of depression, anxiety, and related chronic fatigue
An Integrative Approach to the Etiology of Internalizing Disorders in the Lifelines Cohort
Researchers are using medical records, family information, genetics, and gut microbiome data from thousands of adults to find what leads to depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and IBS.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11234290 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project analyzes information from Lifelines, a long-term group of about 167,000 adults in the North-Eastern Netherlands, many of whom are family members followed over time. It combines medical histories, mood and symptom questionnaires, genetic data, blood measures, and gut microbiome samples to look for shared and unique causes of depression, anxiety disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome. The team builds multi-level statistical models that include family relationships, environment, and molecular data to trace how these conditions begin and overlap. Because Lifelines follows people every five years, researchers can also study how symptoms and diagnoses change over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (age 21 and older) with a history of depression, anxiety disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, or irritable bowel syndrome, and their family members, would be most relevant.
Not a fit: People under 21, those not enrolled in the Lifelines cohort, or anyone seeking immediate clinical treatment will not receive direct care from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors identify different biological pathways behind these conditions and point to more precise ways to diagnose, prevent, or treat them.
How similar studies have performed: Large cohort studies have previously linked genetics, environment, and the microbiome to mood and functional disorders, but combining family, microbiome, and multi-level models in the Lifelines cohort is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Richmond, United States
- Virginia Commonwealth University — Richmond, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kendler, Kenneth Seedman — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Kendler, Kenneth Seedman
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.