“Stress and Epigenetics in Suicide”

“In this book an attempt is made to build a model of suicidal behavior which is based on the concept of stress-vulnerability with implication of modern understanding of the role of epigenetics as a mechanism of programming certain behavioral and emotional patterns, which may influence suicide or suicide attempt.

I am trying here to put together different types of interactions between genes and environments (mostly social, discussing psycho-social and perceived stress as main disturbing factor), starting from typical genes-to -environment interactions, behavioral genes-to- environment covariations, to mechanisms of early life stress programming based on epigenetics and social genomics reactions which evoke conserved patterns of reactivity.
As a result a bio-behavioral model of suicidal behavior is proposed, which takes into consideration possible transgenerational transmission of programmed stress-reactivity and some other features, which in turn may serve as a background for self-destruction.
This model seems to be relevant for understanding recent growth of suicidal behavior in youth and adolescents. In the frame of this thinking cultural conflict, values that are promoted by global economic model, hedonism, individualism, rude materialism and many other psychological and existential aspects of modernity are thought to be responsible for the high level of perceived stress in youth, making certain part of them particularly vulnerable.
The perspective of prevention is seen in such domains as stress-inoculation from one side and self-actualization, meaning in life and intrinsic values promotion in youth from the other side. These wider strategies are given more attention, with reflections on possible biological effects”.

For more details: https://www.elsevier.com/books/stress-and-epigenetics-in-suicide/rozanov/978-0-12-805199-3

To know more, contact EPA- SSSP e-mail address:
epasectionsuicidology@gmail.com

Thanks to Professor Vsevolod Rozanov, MD, PhD