A review on the evidence of transgenerational transmission of posttraumatic stress disorder vulnerability

Abstract

Objective: To understand the risks of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development in the next generation of PTSD patients, we conducted a review on the biological, but not genetic, evidence of transgenerational transmission of PTSD vulnerability. Methods: Pertinent articles published from 1985 to September 2011 were searched using online academic search engines, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, OVID, PsycLIT, and SCOPUS, and a non-systematic review was conducted. Results: There is paradoxical evidence that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis changes in PTSD patients may also be evident in their offspring. This effect and biological vulnerability to PTSD may be transmitted across generations through maternal epigenetic programming during pregnancy. The samples of most studies, which were not large enough and represented the outcome of few research groups, consisted of a specific type of patients with a particular trauma. Conclusions: There is still a need to conduct studies in other geographical areas with different genetic background and larger samples considering different types of trauma other than those specified in the current literature, so as to strengthen the evidence of transgenerational transmission of PTSD vulnerability.

Stress in the Educational System as a Potential Source of Epigenetic Influences on Children's Development and Behavior

“…Therefore, the authors suggested that the effect and biological vulnerability to PTSD might be transmitted across generations through maternal epigenetic programming during pregnancy (Yahyavi et al, 2015 ). By measuring PTSD using cortisol, researchers (Yahyavi et al, 2014 ) have provided the most important non-genetic biological evidence of the transgenerational transmission of PTSD in humans. This study included three different causes of parental PTSD: The Holocaust, the World Trade Center collapse, and maternal childhood abuse (Yahyavi et al, 2014 ; Yehuda et al, 2014 ).…”

“…By measuring PTSD using cortisol, researchers (Yahyavi et al, 2014 ) have provided the most important non-genetic biological evidence of the transgenerational transmission of PTSD in humans. This study included three different causes of parental PTSD: The Holocaust, the World Trade Center collapse, and maternal childhood abuse (Yahyavi et al, 2014 ; Yehuda et al, 2014 ). Furthermore, trauma and abuse in early life have been associated to allele-specific changes in methylation patterns of genes moderating the induction of psychosis (Klengel et al, 2012 ; Klengel and Binder, 2015 ).…”

“…Interestingly, such traumatized mice preserved this altered behavior throughout life, and these aberrant behaviors were observed for the next three generations (Gapp et al, 2014 ). Also, evidence in humans has demonstrated that posttraumatic stress during infancy, besides modifying behavior and generating psychological disorders later in life may also be inherited to the descendants (Yahyavi et al, 2014 ).…”

Early interventions for the prevention of PTSD in adults: a systematic literature review

“…Future research should seek to determine reliable criteria for the identification of trauma victims at risk of developing PTSD, which would allow improved assessments of the interventions performed. As an example, psychological and biological factors are known to influence the vulnerability to PTSD, including internalizing behavioral problems, psychiatric comorbidities, alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis, brain abnormalities, and genetic factors 39,40 .…”

Contribution of community-based sociotherapy interventions for the psychological well-being of Rwandan youths born to genocide perpetrators and survivors: analysis of the stories telling of a sociotherapy approach

“…The path taken by the parents depends not only on family dynamics but also on how the memory of trauma is passed on in the community and wider society, and the ways that the different levels of memory transmission influence each other. Previous findings indicate that children are deeply affected by what their parents pass on to them in terms of memories, behaviors, attitudes and emotions, but in different ways that partly depend on their parents' sociohistorical background [38]. Additionally, it was indicated that intergenerational legacies of genocide are a risk factor for the internalization of feelings of genesis of divisionism (sectarianism and ethnic division) that are vague and sweeping, and have been used to silence legitimate dissent.…”