Geneva/Vienna - Severe childhood abuse alters certain genes, increasing the risk of mental illness, the University of Geneva said Thursday.
The psychiatry genetics team at the Swiss university examined 101 adults with borderline syndrome.
Those who were emotionally, physically or sexually abused as children turned out to have a higher rate of modifications of genes which are responsible for dealing with stress.
People with borderline syndrome can suffer from instability of their emotions, impulses and their relationships with others.
Abuse does not directly lead to mutations, but causes certain molecules to attach to genes, which then undergo changes.
More severe abuse resulted in bigger genetic changes, the scientists found.
The study, which was published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, could also be relevant for people who experience other stressful events such as natural disasters, lead author Nader Perroud said. - Sapa-dpa