Montreal [Canada], May 24 : In a groundbreaking study, researchers from McGill University have identified nine biological markers in the blood that could help diagnose depression in teenagers.
The findings, which were published recently, are expected to revolutionise how depression is detected in adolescents, offering the potential for earlier intervention before symptoms become severe and harder to treat.
The study, led by Dr Cecilia Flores, James McGill Professor at McGill's Department of Psychiatry, sheds light on a new method for identifying the condition.
The researchers discovered that these nine molecules, known as microRNAs, were elevated in the blood of teens diagnosed with depression.
Furthermore, these microRNAs were able to predict the progression of the condition, providing valuable insight into how symptoms may evolve over time.
"Alarmingly, more and more adolescents are being diagnosed with depression, and when it starts early, the effects can be long-lasting and severe," said Dr Flores, who is also a researcher at the Douglas Research Centre and the Ludmer Centre.
"Teens with depression are more likely to face additional challenges such as substance use, social isolation, and symptoms that often resist treatment," Dr Flores added.
Interestingly, these microRNAs have not been linked to depression in adults, suggesting that the markers may reflect biological processes unique to teenagers.
This could open the door for personalised treatment approaches for adolescent depression, which often manifests differently than in adults.
The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Stanford University.
It involved 62 teenagers, 34 diagnosed with depression and 28 healthy individuals. By analysing small blood samples, which were collected via a simple finger prick and stored in dried form, the researchers were able to preserve the integrity of the biological markers over time.
"The method we developed is minimally invasive, scalable, and easy to implement in real-world settings," said Dr Alice Morgunova, postdoctoral fellow at McGill and first author of the study.
"Our findings pave the way for using dried blood spots as a practical tool in psychiatric research. This approach allows us to track early biological changes linked to mental health with minimal discomfort for patients," Dr Alice added.
Currently, diagnosing depression in teenagers largely depends on self-reported symptoms, which can delay accurate diagnosis.
Many adolescents struggle to recognise the signs of depression or are hesitant to seek help.
A blood-based screening tool could provide a more objective way of identifying those at risk, potentially leading to earlier and more effective interventions.
The researchers plan to continue their work by validating these findings in larger groups of adolescents and examining how these microRNAs interact with other genetic and environmental risk factors for depression.
The study was funded by several prestigious organizations, including the Douglas Foundation, Bombardier Fund, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), among others.
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