Family Environment Can Reverse Depression Gene, Study Says
|
A study by UCLA researchers in the current edition of Biological Psychiatry shows that for people with the short version of the 5-HTTLPR gene, a variation linked to predisposition for depression, having a supportive, loving family early in life significantly reduces the chance of becoming depressed later in life.
Saliva samples of 118 young adult subjects were taken to determine their 5-HTTLPR genotype. Subjects also completed assessments related to depression, current stress and their childhood family environment. Results showed that genetic variation alone did not predict a person's probability of developing depressive symptoms. This depended instead upon a combination of genetic and environmental factors, with a stressful family environment showing a strong relation to depressive symptoms. In comparison to others, individuals with the genetic variation linked to depression were more likely to suffer from it if they had recently experienced stress--but less likely to develop it if they reported a positive early family life. These findings suggest that rather than serving as a predictor for depression, the 5-HTTLPR gene is instead "highly responsive to environmental influence" and emphasize the importance of a nurturing home life to mental health. ABSTRACT: Early Family Environment, Current Adversity, the Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism, and Depressive Symptomatology SHARE:
Posted In: Depression Research | Tags: Genetics | Posted by FindCounseling.com Staff on October 10, 2006 at 04:02 AM | Permalink |
AboutThis page contains a single entry from Psychology Briefs, the FindCounseling.com Blog. The previous post was Study: Mixed Emotions Mean More Creative Workers. The next post is High BMI May Lead to Low Cognitive Functioning. Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the Psychology Research Archives. Subscribe              ATOM RSS |
