Rusk Thomas N, Rusk Natalie
Penobscot Community Health Center, Bangor, Maine, USA.
Bull Menninger Clin. 2007 Winter;71(1):1-21. doi: 10.1521/bumc.2007.71.1.1.
New understanding of the etiology of mental disorders calls for a revised look at psychiatric research priorities. Current research efforts are focused on the search for biogenetic causes of mental disorders. However, a small but growing body of research is revealing the inextricable relationship between genes and environment. The article questions the prevailing assumption that biogenetic factors are more fundamental than co-occurring psychosocial factors. The article synthesizes findings from clinical studies and gene-environment literature to illuminate the role of psychosocial adversity and other environmental stressors as primary etiological factors interacting with genetic vulnerabilities in the development of mental disorders. Applying this understanding of etiology combined with recent advances in prevention research methods offers new promise of positive dividends from investments in primary prevention.
对精神障碍病因的新认识要求重新审视精神病学研究重点。目前的研究工作集中在寻找精神障碍的生物遗传学原因。然而，一小部分但数量不断增加的研究正在揭示基因与环境之间千丝万缕的关系。本文质疑了生物遗传学因素比同时存在的心理社会因素更具根本性这一普遍假设。本文综合了临床研究和基因 - 环境文献的研究结果，以阐明心理社会逆境和其他环境压力源作为主要病因因素在精神障碍发展过程中与遗传易感性相互作用的作用。将这种病因学认识与预防研究方法的最新进展相结合，为初级预防投资带来积极成果提供了新的希望。
