Hereditary+information

GeneticsThere is evidence that PTSD is related to genetic predispositions. For adult offspring of Holocaust survivors, parental PTSD was found to be a risk factor not only for PTSD but also for lifetime depressive disorder [1]. Earliest studies done on war veterans also showed family history of psychopathology among PTSD patients [2]. Twin studies also provide evidence of genetic component to PTSD vulnerability. In a study on male and female twin pairs of nonveteran volunteers, PTSD symptoms in combat veterans and noncombat trauma were seen to be heritable with the influence of same genes towards susceptibility of PTSD [3].

[1] Relationship of parental trauma, 2001, Yehuda et al. [2] as above (Yehuda 2001) [3] genetic and environmental influences (Steain et al., 2002)