'Gene makes people more susceptible to depression'

Researchers studied a group of 847 New Zealanders born in the 1970s from youth to adulthood and found a connection between stressful events in their lives and the gene controlling the levels of seratonin, a neuro-transmitter that links brain cells.

The researchers found that the gene controlling seratonin levels also controled a person's vulnerability to depression after traumatic life events. Those with the short form of the gene, known as 5-HTT, were more likely to slip into depression, the researchers said.

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The discovery seems to corroborate the theory that psychological illnesses are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

A study published last year in the United States revealed, for example, that children who are mistreated are more likely to develop antisocial behavior.