Genes

• Major Depressive Disorder


  It's a mental health condition characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, a loss of interest or pleasure in activities, difficulties in decision-making and memory processes, a decrease in motivation, and recurring thoughts of death or suicide. It significantly impacts an individual's emotional well-being and daily functioning.
• What are Genes?


  Genes are segments of DNA that:

  • Are inherited from our parents
  • Provide the blueprint for the structure and function of the human body
  • Make up our genome (the complete set of genetic information)
• Gene Expression

  • Not all genes are active at all times
  • Gene expression is the process by which genes are "turned on" or "off"
  • Can be influenced by environmental factors (epigenetics)
• Genetic Predisposition

  • Having a gene for a trait increases likelihood but doesn't guarantee its expression
  • Represented as: 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒+𝐸𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡→𝑇��𝑎𝑖𝑡/𝐵𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑟Gene+Environment→Trait/Behavior
• Epigenetics


  • Study of how behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way genes work
  • Does not involve changes to DNA sequence
• Genetic Influence on Behavior

  Genes can influence behavior through:

  1. Physiological processes
  2. Neurochemical production
  3. Brain structure development
• Diathesis-Stress Model


  This model explains how genes and environment interact in the development of disorders:

  𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐  𝑉𝑢𝑙𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦+𝐸𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙  𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠→𝐼𝑛𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑  𝑅𝑖𝑠𝑘  𝑜𝑓  𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟

  In depression: 𝐷𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛  𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒+𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑓𝑢𝑙  𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒  𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠→𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑒𝑟  𝑅𝑖𝑠𝑘  𝑜𝑓  𝐷𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛.
• Implications for Psychology

  Understanding genetics in psychology helps in:

  1. Identifying risk factors for mental health disorders
  2. Developing targeted interventions
  3. Understanding individual differences in behavior and cognition
• Behavior is typically a result of complex interactions between multiple genes and environmental factors.