Childhood Trauma and Epigenetic Changes in Stress Response Genes (1 CE)

Number of Credits: 1

This course is for:  Clinical Psychologists, Counselors, and Nurses

Course By: Tim Grigsby, PhD

Content By: Jiang, S., Postovit, L., Cattaneo, A., Binder, E. B., & Aitchison, K. J. (2019). Epigenetic modifications in stress response genes associated with childhood trauma. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, e808.

Course Description: Childhood trauma is associated with multiple adverse outcomes across the lifespan that culminates in an increased risk of premature mortality. Recently, there has been an increased interest in epigenetic contributions to trauma-induced health outcomes primarily as research has suggested that the heritability of trauma-related phenotypes related to mental health is low to moderate. The researchers provide examples of specific genes that undergo epigenetic changes as part of the stress response as well as current limitations in the field that need to be addressed in order to develop new technologies and initiatives to address the consequences of childhood trauma exposure.

Learning Objectives:

1. List TWO psychological, physical, and behavioral health outcomes associated with exposure to childhood trauma
2. Describe the brain structures and neurotransmitters that are activated following exposure to childhood trauma and stress.
3. Give THREE examples of epigenetic gene and brain modifications that occur following exposure to childhood trauma and whether differences exist by sex or gender.

Course Outline:

• Read and understand Epigenetic modifications in stress response genes associated with childhood trauma
• Review the Course Description and Learning Objectives
• Reflect on the relationship between exposure to childhood trauma, changes in brain structure and function, and health status
• Work through the post-test questions; keep in mind that answer selections should be derived from the respective article
• Return to the referenced article for any missed questions and/or to better understand how the stress response can be altered after exposure to trauma early in the life course

Implicit biases incorporate an association that occurs outside of conscious awareness that may resultantly lead to a negative patient evaluation derived from irrelevant characteristics; i.e. gender and/or race. A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Thirty-five studies identified the existence of implicit bias in healthcare professionals; all correlational studies evidenced a significant positive relationship between implicit bias levels and lower quality of care (FitzGerald & Hurst, 2017). Continued research in health care settings, combined with greater method homogeneity, should be employed to examine the occurrence and prevalence of implicit biases in healthcare settings as a strategic approach for mitigating related disparities (FitzGerald & Hurst, 2017).

Reference:

FitzGerald, C., Hurst, S. (2017). Implicit bias in healthcare professionals: A systematic review. BMC Med Ethics 18, 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-017-0179-8

Approvals: