That’s the upshot of new research by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the University of Michigan published online in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
 

Researchers said childhood adversity — including abuse and exposure to violence — may interact with the so-called ADRB2 gene (known to be linked with pain) and increase the risk for adult PTSD symptoms.
 

"We found strong evidence that the ADRB2 gene … was associated with PTSD in our group of male soldiers who were predominantly of European American ancestry," said Sandro Galea, M.D., chair of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. "Of particular note is the finding that the identical interaction took place in the control group of civilians. Together these outcomes suggest that the ADRB2 gene interacts with childhood adversity and either result in a vulnerability or resilience to developing PTSD symptoms following adult trauma."
 

For the study, researchers tracked 810 Ohio National Guard soldiers reported having experienced a potentially traumatic event in their lives. Nearly three-quarters of the guardsmen had been deployed to combat zones including in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 42 percent had seen active military combat.

Service members were asked about their childhood exposure to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, or witnessing of violence between parents. They also underwent genetic testing.
 

"By understanding how PTSD develops, we are better positioned to employ effective prevention and intervention strategies in the military and beyond," said Israel Liberzon, M.D., University of Michigan Professor of Psychiatry and first author of the study. "With these data, we will help patients suffering from the strains of PTSD earlier on, and prevent unnecessary pain, suffering and stress."
 

The study was funded, in part, by the Department of Defense.