Study Analyzes Syrian Genes: Psychological Trauma Alters DNA for Generations

Watan-Scientists have long discussed the short-term effects of psychological trauma, the most significant of which include headaches, changes in appetite or sleep, fear, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating.

However, a new study has revealed a long-term effect of severe trauma, indicating that it leaves genetic “scars” on DNA that persist for generations, according to The New York Post.

The research team analyzed the DNA of 48 Syrian families who experienced violent conflicts in Syria during the early 1980s and in 2011.

The DNA of ten families who suffered violence in the 1980s and 22 families affected in 2011 was compared to the DNA of 16 families who left Syria before 1980, thereby avoiding decades of turmoil.

The study participants whose DNA was collected included 82 children, 47 mothers, and two grandmothers.

The researchers found that psychological trauma caused changes in 21 genetic regions in mothers and children who were directly exposed to violence.

The results also showed changes in 14 genetic regions in the grandchildren of women who survived the attacks of the 1980s.

The researchers further reported that individuals whose mothers experienced violence while pregnant with them appeared to age faster at the cellular level.

Catherine Panter-Brick, an anthropologist at Yale University who participated in the study, stated, “Our findings provide the first-ever evidence that violence can leave genetic marks that persist for generations.”

The research team called for further studies on the lasting effects of violence in general, whether domestic, sexual, or armed violence, on individuals.