Certain immune-related and allergic conditions share a genetic association with psychiatric disorders, with new evidence to suggest the latter may be driving this shared risk.

The findings suggest that patients with autoimmune conditions could benefit from screening for comorbid mental illnesses, US researchers say.

For instance, genes associated with major depression appear to contribute to asthma risk, while schizophrenia partially affects the likelihood of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

“Our inference analysis … suggests the effect of one disorder on the other,” said study first author and psychiatrist Dr Daniel Tylee, from the Yale University school of medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.