Similar rG estimates can result from different genetic architectures, indexed by the extent to which genetic liability is spread across the genome. We estimated local rG and the percentage of the genome contributing to total rG using rho-HESS46 (Methods and Fig. 4b). Approximately 65.8% (s.e. = 0.6%), 37.1% (s.e. = 4.5%) and 42.7% (s.e. = 2.3%) of the genome explained 90% of the total rG between strictly defined MDD (LifetimeMDD) and neuroticism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, respectively. In comparison, 80.2% (s.e. = 0.6%), 47.3% (s.e. = 2.4%) and 46.8% (s.e. = 0.2%) of the genome was needed to explain the same percentage of total rG between help-seeking-based GPpsy and the same conditions (Fig. 4c). In other words, minimal phenotyping definitions of depression share more genetic loci with other psychiatric conditions than strictly defined MDD does.
