Distinguishing happiness and meaning in life from depressive symptoms: A GWAS-by-subtraction study in the UK Biobank.

Hedonic (happiness) and eudaimonic (meaning in life) well-being are negatively related to depressive symptoms. Genetic variants play a role in this association, reflected in substantial genetic correlations. We investigated the overlap and differences between well-being and depressive symptoms, using results of Genome-Wide Association studies (GWAS) in UK Biobank.

The Genetic and Neural Substrates of Externalizing Behavior.

Background: To gain more insight into the biological factors that mediate vulnerability to display externalizing behaviors, we leveraged genome-wide association study summary statistics on 13 externalizing phenotypes.

Methods: After data classification based on genetic resemblance, we performed multivariate genome-wide association meta-analyses and conducted extensive bioinformatic analyses, including genetic correlation assessment with other traits, Mendelian randomization, and gene set and gene expression analyses.

Results: The genetic data could be categorized into disruptive behavior (DB) and risk-taking behavior (RTB) factors, and subsequent genome-wide association meta-analyses provided association statistics for DB and RTB (  = 523,150 and 1,506,537, respectively), yielding 50 and 257 independent genetic signals.

A Re-evaluation of Candidate Gene Studies for Well-Being in Light of Genome-Wide Evidence.

Unlabelled: Ever since twin-family studies found that a substantial amount (± 40%) of the variation in well-being can be explained by genetic variation, several candidate genes have been proposed explaining this variation. However, these candidate gene and candidate gene-by-environment interaction studies have been surrounded by controversy regarding the validity and replication of their results. In the present study, we review the existing candidate gene literature for well-being.

Smartphone-Based Ecological Momentary Assessment of Well-Being: A Systematic Review and Recommendations for Future Studies.

Feelings of well-being and happiness fluctuate over time and contexts. Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) studies can capture fluctuations in momentary behavior, and experiences by assessing these multiple times per day. Traditionally, EMA was performed using pen and paper.

Expanding the environmental scope: an environment-wide association study for mental well-being.

Background: Identifying modifiable factors associated with well-being is of increased interest for public policy guidance. Developments in record linkage make it possible to identify what contributes to well-being from a myriad of factors. To this end, we link two large-scale data resources; the Geoscience and Health Cohort Consortium, a collection of geo-data, and the Netherlands Twin Register, which holds population-based well-being data.