For IL-6, per-unit increase in higher genetically-predicted IL-6 activity was associated with increased risk for depressive symptoms (1-sample MR: OR=1·32, 95% CI 1·03–1·67; 2-sample MR: OR=1·34, 95% CI 1·05–1·72), but not with probable depression or either anxiety outcome. Here, IL6 is linked to depressive symptom measurement.