Depression Bipolar Schizophrenia 07 Mar, 2017 Read Time: 8 mins

Genetic and Environmental Impact on Psychiatric and Neurological Disease

The burden of brain disease in Europe continues to rise.  Currently, more than one in three individuals in Europe suffers from a disorder of the brain.1  Brain diseases carry with them an estimated yearly economic burden of 789 billion Euro,2 placing a considerable burden on personal, social, and economic well-being. Globally, mental disorders account for a disproportionately large percentage of disability-adjusted life years (56.7%) followed by neurological disorders (28.6%),3 illustrating the deleterious effects these disorders place on the individual and society.  Efforts to reduce this burden have led to a multi-disciplinary collaboration between the neurosciences, sociologists, clinicians, and public health officials, with a particular focus on the interplay between genetics and the environment, often referred to as “nature versus nurture”, in the development of these diseases.

Gaining a better understanding of the causal risk factors associated with psychiatric and neurological disease may aid in efforts to prevent the development of these often disabling conditions and subsequently reduce this burden overall.

Dr. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg addresses the need and potential approach one could undertake to better understand and potentially prevent the development of these disorders

 

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