The Role of Epigenetic Mechanisms in Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Anxiety
Tarini Misra
27/02/2026
For generations, factors affecting cellular development and health were categorised as genetic or environmental. Epigenetics is a field at the cutting edge of biological and health sciences that draws connections between both genetic and environmental factors. While it shows tremendous potential for application in disease pathogenesis, neuroscience, psychiatry, and more, it has gained significant attention only in the last few decades. This paper aims to organise existing knowledge across studies on epigenetics and its connection with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. It focuses on synthesising diverse studies, drawing connections between different findings, and providing a comprehensive view on the topic. The methodology includes primary and secondary research papers and journal articles. Raw data and the qualitative analysis have been discussed. Both human and animal studies were also analysed as relevant and applicable. This review first provides background information on key foundational concepts – types of epigenetic mechanisms, environmental factors that cause epigenetic changes, and technology in epigenetic detection. Later, it focuses on three mood disorders – depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety – which are some of the most prevalent psychiatric conditions in the population, to explain the role of epigenetics in the development and onset of each of these, as well as in the quest for treatments. The findings suggest that epigenetic modifications play a significant role in altering neural pathways associated with emotion regulation, cognition, and stress response, showing correlation to behavioural disorders. Epigenetic changes have been found to be reversible, in some cases, showing their potential for therapeutic intervention. Overall, this paper concludes that epigenetics research and emerging technologies in epigenetics provide a critical framework and potential for understanding how environmental experiences interact with human biology and physiology in the development of behavioural disorders.