A potentially overlooked article from August, 2005's Psychiatric Times takes a look at the link, if any, between genetics and PTSD. The introductory paragraph provides some key facts about PTSD, and reminds us that not everyone who has been exposed to the same triggers will develop symptoms. Says the article, "Over 50% of U.S. women and 60% of men report having experienced a traumatic event at some point in their lives. However, only a minority (approximately 10% of women and 5% of men) report having ever developed posttraumatic stress disorder, the most prominent psychiatric disorder associated with traumatic events (Kessler et al., 1995). This disparity between the prevalence of exposure to traumatic events and the development of PTSD has driven research to determine the etiology of PTSD and identify factors that increase risk for the disorder. One area of research that has received relatively little attention is genetics."
The article, which to some extent is a literature review (much like this blog!), contends that further study of the possible genetic link to PTSD might be worthwhile in isolating which drugs PTSD sufferers respond to and why. In other words, pursuing the "better health through chemistry" approach by using pharmaceuticals to target psychological trauma. Certainly an effective way, but not necessarily the only way, to approach the problem, one might think. (And we're not talking Tom Cruise here, either -- just to be clear.)
