Clinical psychologist and director of Queensland University of Technology's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Ross Young said being raised in a stable, safe environment helps us deal with stress in adulthood. He said severe childhood abuse, consistent and repeated abuse or being raised in a traumatic environment, is a risk factor for stress-related psychological problems. "Child abuse can change the structure of the brain," said Young. "[The study] found significant differences in stress-related hormone receptors in abused suicide victims compared with others, and evidence that parts of the gene may be switched off by abuse, leading to abnormal stress responses in adulthood. "In essence, childhood abuse appears to interact with a stress hormone related gene as one potential path to suicide." Director of the Genetics of Learning Disability Service at Hunter Genetics, Anna Hackett said it shows those subjected to abuse have an increased risk of suicide due to changes in the stress pathway. "It appears that an epigenetic process (methylation) occurs to a greater extent in a glucocorticoid receptor promoter gene in suicide victims subject to childhood abuse than other groups," she said. "Increased methylation occurs early in a child's development when exposed to abuse and has a long-term effect on an individual's response to stress." The experts agree it reinforces the importance of interventions to prevent abuse. Related Links: |
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