HARRISONBURG, VA — “The Mennonite game” — tracing the genealogy of a new acquaintance to find a common ancestor — might be a fun pastime for people with Mennonite backgrounds, but such a relatively shallow gene pool is also helpful for understanding the neurobiology behind bipolar disorder.
An ongoing National Institute of Mental Health study is enlisting the participation of people of Anabaptist heritage — such as Eastern Mennonite University alumna Bev Miller — who have or are related to people with bipolar disorder. Also known as manic-depressive illness, it tends to run in families.
Miller, who lives in Wauseon, Ohio, is one of the study’s nearly 1,000 participants, many of whom live in areas of the U.S. highly populated by Mennonites. The study also includes participants from Mennonite communities in Brazil and Canada.
Four decades ago, Miller learned she had bipolar disorder when manic episodes and deep depression abruptly ended her teaching career and led to multiple extended hospitalizations. She now manages her illness with medication.
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