Distinct psychiatric disorders have more in common biologically than previously believed, according to the largest and most detailed analysis to date of how genes influence mental illness.

Researchers from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) report that most genetic influences on mental illness are shared across diagnostic categories, revealing a more interconnected biological landscape than traditional classifications suggest.

This large-scale genomic analysis of 14 psychiatric disorders shows that most heritable risk is shared across five broad genetic factors, with only limited disorder-specific variation. The study maps where risks converge or diverge biologically, revealing distinct cell type signatures and developmental pathways that may guide future diagnostic and therapeutic frameworks.