Stress affects up to 90% of people, and we know it harms our mental and physical well-being. <\/p>\n
Stress can impact the activity and function of our genes. It does this via epigenetic changes, which turn on and off certain genes, though it doesnt change the DNA code.<\/p>\n
But why do some people respond worse to stress, while others seem to cope under pressure?<\/p>\n
Previous research has identified having strong social support and a sense of belonging are robust indicators of physical and mental health.<\/p>\n
Social support means having a network you can turn to in times of need. This can come from natural sources such as family, friends, partners, pets, co-workers and community groups. Or from formal sources such as mental health specialists.<\/p>\n
My new study, published today in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, shows for the first time that these positive effects are also observed on human genes.<\/p>\n
Having supportive social structures buffers and even reverses some of the harmful effects of stress on our genes and health, via the process of epigenetics. <\/p>\n
The findings suggest the DNA we are born with is not necessarily our destiny.<\/p>\n
Read more: How chronic stress changes the brain and what you can do to reverse the damage <\/p>\n
Our genes and our environment contribute to our health.<\/p>\n
We inherit our DNA code from our parents, and this doesnt change during our life. Genetics is the study of how the DNA code acts as a risk or protective factor for a particular trait or disease.<\/p>\n
Epigenetics is an additional layer of instructions on top of DNA that determines how they affect the body. This layer can chemically modify the DNA, without changing DNA code.<\/p>\n
The term epigenetics is derived from the Greek word epi which means over, on top of.<\/p>\n
Read more: Explainer: what is epigenetics? <\/p>\n
This extra layer of information lies on top of the genes and surrounding DNA. It acts like a switch, turning genes on or off, which can also impact our health.<\/p>\n
Epigenetic changes occur throughout our lives due to different environmental factors such as stress, exercise, diet, alcohol, and drugs.<\/p>\n
For instance, chronic stress can impact our genes via epigenetic changes that in turn can increase the rate of mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety.<\/p>\n
New technologies now allow researchers to collect a biological sample from a person (such as blood or saliva) and measure epigenetics to better understand how our genes respond to different environments.<\/p>\n
Measuring epigenetics at different times allows us to gain insight into which genes are altered because of a particular environment.<\/p>\n
Read more: Extreme stress in childhood is toxic to your DNA <\/p>\n
My study investigated both positive and negative factors that drive a persons response to stress and how this changes the epigenetic profiles of genes.<\/p>\n
Certain groups of people are more likely to face stress as a part of their routine work, such as emergency responders, medical workers and police officers. <\/p>\n
So, my research team and I recruited 40 Australian first year paramedical students at two points in time before and after exposure to a potentially stressful event. The students provided saliva samples for DNA and filled out questionnaires detailing their lifestyle and health at both points in time.<\/p>\n
We investigated epigenetic changes before and after exposure to stress, to better understand: <\/p>\n
We found stress influenced epigenetics and this in turn led to increased rates of distress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms among participants.<\/p>\n
However, students who reported high levels of perceived social support showed lesser levels of stress-related health outcomes.<\/p>\n
Students with a strong sense of belonging to a group, organisation, or community dealt much better with stress and had reduced negative health outcomes following exposure to stress.<\/p>\n
Both these groups of students showed fewer epigenetic changes in genes that were altered as a result of stress.<\/p>\n
The COVID pandemic has created heavy psychological and emotional burdens for people due to uncertainty, altered routines and financial pressures.<\/p>\n
In Australia, the rates of anxiety, depression and suicide have soared since the start of the pandemic. One in five Australians have reported high levels of psychological distress. <\/p>\n
The pandemic has also made us more isolated, and our relationships more remote, having a profound impact on social connections and belonging. <\/p>\n
My study highlights how family and community support, and a sense of belonging, influence our genes and act as a protective factor against the effects of stress.<\/p>\n
In such unprecedented and stressful times, its vital we build and maintain strong social structures that contribute to good physical and mental well-being.<\/p>\n
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\nStress is a health hazard. But a supportive circle of friends can help undo the damaging effects on your DNA - The Conversation AU<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"