In vivo molecular chronotyping, circadian misalignment, and high rates of depression in young adults.

•We present molecular evidence linking depression in young adults with in vivo mRNA phase misalignment in circadian molecular clocks.•Using an independent, data-driven cluster analysis, we can define the molecular circadian misalignment of individuals from peripheral clock gene expression.•The risk of being depressed is higher in young adults with delayed phase and in individuals with a mismatch between circadian behavioral phenotypes and circadian molecular phase, independent of sleep duration, social jetlag and gender.