Scientists say they have identified the "rogue" gene that causes depression, confirming a genetic link to the condition, writes the Financial Times.

Those with nurse manager jobs may be interested to learn about these findings, which should lead to a better understanding of depression and improved treatment.

Depression is a particularly debilitating disorder, which affects a fifth of the UK population at some time in their lives, according to the Daily Mail. Although scientists have long suspected that some individuals are more susceptible than others, the genetic link had not been proven. Until now.

The discovery was made independently by two separate teams at King's College London and Washington University, St. Louis, making the claims all the more credible.

In both cases scientists studied families in which two or three members suffered depression and found that part of a chromosome called 3p25-26 was "strongly linked to the disorder." However, this includes some 20,000 genes and further investigation over the next year is required to find the single responsible gene(s).

Gerome Breen, leading the London study, told the Financial Times: "These findings are truly exciting as possibly for the first time we have found a genetic locus for depression."

Equally enthused, lead author of the US study, Michele Pergadia said: "We are just beginning to make our way through the maze of influences on depression, and this is an important step toward understanding what may be happening at the genetic and molecular levels."