Washington - Saba:
A recent study has found that a life full of stress can leave traces on our genetic code, some of which can be passed on to our children, and that the biological impact of trauma on the mother persists long after the violent acts themselves.
In this study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, an international team of researchers demonstrated the physical mechanisms behind intergenerational trauma in humans, explaining why people with a family history of adversity are more likely to develop mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, despite not having experienced the negative events themselves.
The researchers analyzed DNA collected from 48 Syrian families over three generations. These families included grandmothers or mothers.
In close collaboration with these families now living in Jordan, the researchers were able to collect cheek samples from 131 individuals, then analyze them for any mutations in genetic signatures. These are not changes in the DNA sequence itself, but rather chemical changes that affect how the sequences work.
"Families want their stories to be told, and they want their experiences to be heard," says Connie Mulligan, an anthropologist at the University of Florida.
Using families who left Syria before 1980 as controls, the team found changes in 14 genomic regions linked to violence in individuals.
Moreover, eight of these changes persisted into grandchildren, who were not directly exposed to violence. The results also showed signs of accelerated genetic aging, which could increase the risk of age-related diseases. In addition, 21 other regions of the genome showed signs of changes directly caused by violence in the Syrian civil war.
The changes the researchers observed were consistent between victims of violence and their offspring, suggesting that the stress of conflict was what altered the chemical messages associated with these genes.
These types of persistent, multigenerational genetic changes in response to stress have been observed in animals before, but until now there has been little research into how this might also work in humans.
What the study doesn’t yet reveal is how these changes might affect each individual’s health. But the researchers say they have come away with a lasting impression of the families’ resilience. "In the midst of all this violence, we can still celebrate their extraordinary resilience," Mulligan says. “They live productive lives, have children, and maintain traditions.” They have persevered. "It is very likely that this ability to endure and persevere is a uniquely human trait."
Of course, there are many other devastating consequences of violence for victims and their children—including the significant mental and physical health damage that has been documented in previous studies, and which is not quickly forgotten.
These findings are likely to apply to many forms of violence, including domestic violence, sexual violence, and gun violence, the researchers say. These acts have lasting effects that extend far beyond the individuals involved.
"The idea that trauma and violence can have repercussions for future generations could help people be more compassionate, and help policymakers pay more attention to the problem of violence," Mulligan says. “It could also help explain some of the seemingly unbreakable intergenerational cycles of abuse, poverty, and trauma that we see around the world, including in the United States."
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