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Anxiety and Depression in Gumri

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  • Anxiety and Depression in Gumri

    Interesting read. The "genetic" part is questionable in my views.

    "Research Finds Genetic Connection Between PTSD, Depression And Anxiety

    Article Date: 28 Dec 2008

    Earthquakes have aftershocks - not just the geological kind but the mental kind as well. Just like veterans of war, earthquake survivors can experience post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.

    In 1988, a massive earthquake in Armenia killed 17,000 people and destroyed nearly half the town of Gumri. Now, in the first multigenerational study of its kind, UCLA researchers studying survivors of that catastrophe have discovered that vulnerability to PTSD, anxiety and depression runs in families.

    Armen Goenjian, a research psychiatrist in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, and colleagues studied 200 participants from 12 multigenerational families exposed to the earthquake. Participants suffered from varying degrees of the disorders. The researchers found that 41 percent of the variation of PTSD symptoms was due to genetic factors and that 61 percent of the variation of depressive symptoms and 66 percent of anxiety symptoms were attributable to genetics. Further, they found that a large proportion of the genetic liabilities for the disorders were shared.

    The research appears in the December issue of the journal Psychiatric Genetics.

    "This was a study of multigenerational family members - parents and offspring, grandparents and grandchildren, siblings, and so on - and we found that the genetic makeup of some of these individuals renders them more vulnerable to develop PTSD, anxiety and depressive symptoms," said Goenjian, a member of the UCLA-Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress and lead author of the study.

    In addition, Goenjian noted, the study suggests that a large percentage of genes are shared between the disorders.

    "That tracks with clinical experience," he said. "For example, in clinical practice, the therapist will often discover that patients who come in for treatment of depression have coexisting anxiety. Our findings show that a substantial portion of the coexistence can be explained on the basis of shared genes and not just environmental factors such as upbringing."

    The researchers used statistical methods to assess heritabilities. One method was used to determine the genetic component of a disorder such as PTSD. Then, a separate analysis was used to see if different phenotypes shared genes. The results showed that a significant amount of genes are shared between PTSD and depression, PTSD and anxiety, and finally depression and anxiety.

    Until now, Goenjian said, the only studies that have suggested such a heritability of PTSD have been twin studies.

    "It's very hard to do family studies on PTSD because typically only single individuals, not whole families, are exposed to a particular trauma," he said. "In our study, we were able to avert this problem since all the subjects were exposed to the same severe trauma at the same time."

    In fact, he said, the 200 participants all saw destroyed buildings throughout Gumri, 90 percent witnessed dead bodies left lying in the streets and 92 percent witnessed severely injured people.

    The findings are promising for the next step in understanding the underlying biology of these disorders, which is locating the specific genes involved, Goenjian said."


  • #2
    Re: Anxiety and Depression in Gumri

    I'm not so skeptical about the genetic conditioning. Armenians have been on their toes for long time. Life or Death situations are what we've known for several centuries, on and off yes, but this condition never seems to have left us. This genetic conditioning, like it or not, has helped us survive in times of trouble. Think about it, stress, worry, concern, anxiety... All this keeps us on the run, on our toes when there is a storm raging outside. If we all felt like relaxing during tough times, we'd probably end up like Bohemians and become absorbed by some invading power that we feel to tired or lazy to resist against. Also, we wouldn't be helping each other out as much during emergencies.

    Don't be shy of admitting some genetic component, because in the end, the genetics are a result of societal dynamics too. It's like a natural, tacit register inside us, reminding our thinking to behave in ways that respond to past performance of our society (whichever society it was and wherever it may have been)

    This particular conditioning found in inhabitants of Gyumri is not so profitable during times of peace perhaps. But one could posit: "Let us genetically adapt to peace when we have a solid nation that's not at risk of suffering so greatly should disaster or challenge strike, shall we?"

    I think during times of peace, something that would satisfy these depressed and anxious inhabitants in Gyumri would be more involvement in music and battle-readiness training for the civilians, including martial arts. Also perhaps communal construction or landscaping/gardening projects might be a boost for them too. But alas, those are simply what I would desire to have if I were living in a more down-to-earth community than my own.
    Last edited by jgk3; 12-28-2008, 03:00 PM.

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    • #3
      Re: Anxiety and Depression in Gumri

      It really is such a sad sight to see.

      When I wen't back to visit Gyumri the roads were broken and disrupted. Not having visited Erevan, I thought that all of Armenia's roads were broken.

      The house's are small and every backyard garden has either dead plants or a hive of bees.

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      • #4
        Re: Anxiety and Depression in Gumri

        Originally posted by Sero View Post
        hive of bees.
        hehe, maybe someday they'll get smart and start a Gyumri honey industry.

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        • #5
          Re: Anxiety and Depression in Gumri

          If they have the right material for it :P

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          • #6
            Re: Anxiety and Depression in Gumri

            Originally posted by jgk3 View Post
            hehe, maybe someday they'll get smart and start a Gyumri honey industry.

            Seems like a project the All-Armenia Fund should look into.
            For the first time in more than 600 years, Armenia is free and independent, and we are therefore obligated
            to place our national interests ahead of our personal gains or aspirations.



            http://www.armenianhighland.com/main.html

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            • #7
              Re: Anxiety and Depression in Gumri

              Originally posted by Armanen View Post
              Seems like a project the All-Armenia Fund should look into.
              for sure.

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