Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital move into researching the specific genetics behind anxiety disorders. The latest research has found that a specific gene is in association with anxiety traits. In individuals with these particular traits, it was found that vital neurotransmitter activity was compromised.
After studies performed with mice, it was found that the RGS2 protein, which is coded for by a specific gene is associated with fearful behavior. This theory was then tested in children twenty one months up to six years through over one hundred different families. The findings were consistent with the same sort of association in mice. The testing was extended to over seven hundred college students. The information from this study further supported the previous findings.
These findings and tests are so important considering what a serious and wide spread problem anxiety disorders are. Being someone who has Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I really look forward to how these discoveries will develop into treatment. I hope that in identifying specifics, scientists and doctors will be able to narrow treatment to target the real genetic issues. I am also always prideful in seeing more and more science discovered in association and causation of mental illnesses because it belittles the taboo association with these serious disorders.
Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/03/04/genetic-disposition-for-anxiety/1997.html
Interesting article! I feel like mental health isn't taken as seriously because it can not be physically seen on an individual. Anxiety and other mental health disorders are serious and I'm happy to know that scientists are starting to focus on the genetic aspect of these problems. With a better understanding people will be able to receive the proper treatment and education for mental health disorders. Many medications today have numerous negative side effects. Hopefully these new findings will shed light on mental disorders which will decrease these adverse effects.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. I hope that with scientific understanding, more people will better understand these serious diseases. As for the medicine, you are right about the negative side effects but also in addition, the medications more often than not are unsuccessful in treating the disease anyway. I hope that science helps with this issue as well.
ReplyDeleteI think that mental health is an incredibly difficult field to work in as identifying exactly what illness a person might have as symptoms can be similar with no clear "Tests". I believe this is part of why people may have trouble taking mental health seriously, because there is a certain amount of guesswork in the field. Hopefully with this discovery tests can be created in which a person can definitively be diagnosed with anxiety disorders, treated, and have their disease be taken seriously.
ReplyDeleteI also hope with this discovery the stigma against mental health diseases can be lifted and more individuals who need help will seek it, as it should be viewed as a disease just the same as any other non-mental health affiliated disease.