Is there a link between a gene defect, experiencing abuse as a child and PTSD?

A new study published in the March 19 issue of JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) suggests that people with a specific genetic defect who experience abuse as a child are at greater risk of developing PTSD symptoms as an adult.

Health Day (3/18, Gardner) reported "scientists gathered at a special news conference Tuesday" said an explosion of knowledge in genetics is poised to revolutionize medicine. The scientists "spoke at a conference to unveil results of a number of studies in the March 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue focused on genomic medicine." One of the studies "found that adults who experienced abuse during childhood and who also have variations in the FKBP5 gene were at greater risk for symptoms of PTSD as adults. The gene is related to the stress response which, in PTSD, appears unable to turn itself down after a trauma or series of traumas, explained study co-author Rebekah G. Bradley of the departments of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University School of Medicine and the Atlanta VA Medical Center."

Time (3/18, Wallis) focused exclusively on the PTSD study, saying it "raises the question of whether soldiers going into combat or others who work in high-risk situations could some day be screened for vulnerability to PTSD. Dr. Thomas Neylan, the director "of the PTSD Program at the San Francisco VA Medical Center," points out that the research may also have implications for developing drugs to treat PTSD." Time added, "Both Neylan and Bradley say the research underscores the powerful interplay between childhood trauma, genes and mental health." Bradley added, "If we could simply reduce childhood abuse, it would have a major impact on mental health."

The AP (3/18, Tanner) added, "Groundbreaking research suggests genes help explain why some people can recover from a traumatic event while others suffer post-traumatic stress disorder." Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, said the study is particularly valuable for the light it sheds on military veterans, who are known to be vulnerable to PTSD." The AP noted that Insel's agency paid for the study.

The question for active duty members as well as veterans is whether this study could be used to deny benefits for PTSD. The answer is no. The issue is whether the PTSD is service connected. Just because somebody might be more likely to happen because of a genetic anomaly is not relevant.

The VA could try to claim that the PTSD is caused by abuse experienced as a child, but the VA would have to have evidence of ongoing PTSD symptoms, and it would have to show that those symptoms did not increase as a result of a service-connected incident.