Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34099873›Full record

SynthesisMolecular psychiatry2021

Using Mendelian Randomisation methods to understand whether diurnal preference is causally related to mental health.

Jessica O'Loughlin, Francesco Casanova, Samuel E Jones, Saskia P Hagenaars, Robin N Beaumont, Rachel M Freathy, Edward R Watkins, Céline Vetter, Martin K Rutter, Sean W Cain and 5 more

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Molecular psychiatry, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
28citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

28 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  5. Optimal sleep timing revealed: a new perspective on reducing all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease-cause mortality in older adults.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Jessica O'LoughlinGenetics of Complex Traits, The College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, The RILD Building, RD&E Hospital, Exeter, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1519-3832
Francesco CasanovaGenetics of Complex Traits, The College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, The RILD Building, RD&E Hospital, Exeter, UK.
Samuel E JonesGenetics of Complex Traits, The College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, The RILD Building, RD&E Hospital, Exeter, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0153-922X
Saskia P HagenaarsSocial, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Robin N BeaumontGenetics of Complex Traits, The College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, The RILD Building, RD&E Hospital, Exeter, UK.
Rachel M FreathyGenetics of Complex Traits, The College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, The RILD Building, RD&E Hospital, Exeter, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4152-2238
Edward R WatkinsPsychology, Mood Disorders Centre, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
Céline VetterCircadian and Sleep Epidemiology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
Martin K RutterFaculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Sean W CainTurner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8385-1550
Andrew J K PhillipsTurner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
Daniel P WindredTurner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
Andrew R WoodGenetics of Complex Traits, The College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, The RILD Building, RD&E Hospital, Exeter, UK.
Michael N WeedonGenetics of Complex Traits, The College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, The RILD Building, RD&E Hospital, Exeter, UK.
Jessica TyrrellGenetics of Complex Traits, The College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, The RILD Building, RD&E Hospital, Exeter, UK. j.tyrrell@exeter.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9256-6065

Funding

British Heart FoundationMedical Research Council MR/S0151132Medical Research Council MR/S015132/1Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust WT104150
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Late diurnal preference has been linked to poorer mental health outcomes, but the understanding of the causal role of diurnal preference on mental health and wellbeing is currently limited. Late diurnal preference is often associated with circadian misalignment (a mismatch between the timing of the endogenous circadian system and behavioural rhythms), so that evening people live more frequently against their internal clock. This study aims to quantify the causal contribution of diurnal preference on mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression and general wellbeing and test the hypothesis that more misaligned individuals have poorer mental health and wellbeing using an actigraphy-based measure of circadian misalignment. Multiple Mendelian Randomisation (MR) approaches were used to test causal pathways between diurnal preference and seven well-validated mental health and wellbeing outcomes in up to 451,025 individuals. In addition, observational analyses tested the association between a novel, objective measure of behavioural misalignment (Composite Phase Deviation, CPD) and seven mental health and wellbeing outcomes. Using genetic instruments identified in the largest GWAS for diurnal preference, we provide robust evidence that early diurnal preference is protective for depression and improves wellbeing. For example, using one-sample MR, a twofold higher genetic liability of morningness was associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms (OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.88, 0.97). It is possible that behavioural factors including circadian misalignment may contribute in the chronotype depression relationship, but further work is needed to confirm these findings.

Indexed as

Circadian RhythmMental HealthAnxietyHumansRisk FactorsSleepSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID34099873
PMCPMC8760058

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.