Shared genetic architectures of subjective well-being in East Asian and European ancestry populations

Subjective well-being (SWB) has been explored in European ancestral populations; however, whether the SWB genetic architecture is shared across populations remains unclear. We conducted a cross-population genome-wide association study for SWB using samples from Korean ( n = 110,919) and European ( n = 563,176) ancestries. Five ancestry-specific loci and twelve cross-ancestry significant genomic loci were identified. One novel locus (rs12298541 near HMGA2 ) associated with SWB was also identified through the European meta-analysis. Significant cross-ancestry genetic correlation for SWB between samples was observed. Polygenic risk analysis in an independent Korean cohort ( n = 22,455) demonstrated transferability between populations. Significant correlations between SWB and major depressive disorder, and significant enrichment of central nervous system-related polymorphisms heritability in both ancestry populations were found. Hence, large-scale cross-ancestry genome-wide association studies can advance our understanding of SWB genetic architecture and mental health. Won et al. compare genetic associations with subjective well-being in Korean and European populations, and show significant cross-population genetic correlations