The role of epigenetics in social psychiatry

Abstract

Background: Epigenetics refers to the study of heritable changes in gene expression not involving changes in DNA sequence and is presently an active area of research in biology and medicine. There is increasing evidence that epigenetics is involved in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. Aims and Methods: Several studies conducted to date have suggested that psychosocial factors act by modifying epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression in the brain in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. Such studies have been conducted both on brain tissues and also using peripheral tissues as substitutes for brain tissues. This article reviews such studies. Results and Conclusion: Epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression in the brain appear to link one individual with another in the context of social psychiatry. Epigenetics appears to be of major importance to the field of social psychiatry.

Genome–Environment Interactions and Psychiatric Disorders

“…Based on such data, it was theorized that social determinants of mental health act via epigenetic mechanisms and contribute to the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders [ 30 , 31 ], and it has been suggested that epigenetics is a link between social determinants of mental health and psychiatric disorders [ 32 , 33 , 34 ]. After the pioneering work by Meaney and Szyf, there have been many other studies conducted on animal models of psychiatric disorders, post-mortem human brain tissues, and peripheral tissues of psychiatric patients that have shown that social determinants of mental health act epigenetically to contribute to psychiatric disorders [ 35 , 36 , 37 ]. Interestingly, there is growing evidence that the mechanism of action of psychotherapy in the treatment of psychiatric disorders is by altering epigenetic changes [ 38 ].…”

“…Interestingly, there is growing evidence that the mechanism of action of psychotherapy in the treatment of psychiatric disorders is by altering epigenetic changes [ 38 ]. In this context, it has been suggested that psychotherapy “undoes” what the disease has done to patients via epigenetic mechanisms [ 35 ].…”

Therapists' experiences of working with the intergenerational impact of troubles‐related trauma

“…Epigenetic research offers a new perspective of intergenerational trauma; that of a genetic entity being transferred from generation to generation. Although an idea still in its infancy, the emergent research into epigenetic mechanisms in mental health has shown that gene expression in the brain is a significant factor in social psychiatry (Peedicayil, 2017). This perspective questions the validity of intergenerational trauma as a psychological response to a childhood environment or internalisation of parental behaviour.…”

Epigenetics and developmental psychiatry

“…Epigenetics, which literally means above or in addition to genetics, involves molecular mechanisms like DNA methylation and histone modifications, and there is increasing evidence that epigenetics is involved in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders (Peedicayil, 2017). Epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression are known to play a crucial role in all aspects of the development of the body (Willbanks et al, 2016) and to be influenced and modified by environmental factors (Feinberg & Fallin, 2015), including cultural (Boivin, Kakooza, Warf, Davidson, & Grigorenko, 2015) and social (Peedicayil, 2017; Ventriglio, Gupta, & Bhugra, 2016) factors. Epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression are also known to change during the life span of an individual (Kanherkar, Bhatia-Dey, & Csoka, 2014).…”