Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on March 25, 2011
Advances in predicting who may be at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at the heart of two new studies, one that identifies a specific genetic risk factor, and another that describes a new tool for assessing PTSD potential after a traumatic event.
Led by Joseph Boscarino, Ph.D., M.P.H., senior investigator for the Geisinger Center for Health Research, the first study finds that individuals with a certain set of “at risk†genes were at seven times higher risk for PTSD than those without the genes.
“We found that individuals with these ‘at risk’ genes were more likely to develop PTSD, especially when associated with a higher exposure to traumatic events or greater exposure to childhood adversity,†said Boscarino. “They say what doesn’t kill you makes only you stronger, but what we’ve found is that the opposite may actually be the case if you have the PTSD risk genes.”
Boscarino adds that screening individuals for these genetic factors in the future may lead to better post-trauma treatments and genetic counseling related to career options in the military or in the civil services, such as police work or firefighting.
In a related study, Boscarino and his team developed a PTSD prediction tool that can be used in clinical practice after traumatic event exposures.
Read in Full: http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/03/25/studies-id-key-predictors-of-post-traumatic-stress-disorder/24693.html