Introduction
There are few systems so complex and multifaceted as the biology bridging the brain, genetics, and mental health. Psychiatric illnesses commonly display a high degree of polygenicity and heritability involving a large number of genetic variants with small effect sizes. Large consortia pooling data from different research sites have made great strides in the discovery of genetic variants involved in mental health by running a GWAS on the trait of interest. Discovery of those genetic variants and interpreting the roles they play in the biology of the brain and mental health is an active area of study that relies on large samples and advanced statistical methods.
In this chapter: