The Three Factors That Predict Mental Health

Research scientists remain intrigued on learning why certain people develop psychiatric disorders while others don’t. The full range of mental health difficulties from anxiety, depression, ADHD, addictions, bulimia and dyslexia may boil down to only a mix of a few factors.

It was only until recently that mental health experts thought that each specific psychological disorder was unique within its category due to particular disease details.

But now it appears through findings at McGill University, researchers have seen evidence to suggest that these most common psychiatric disorders are largely a result of these three factors.

One, biological conditions that a person may have in the dopamine pathways in their brain.

Two, social factors that directly contribute to symptom profiles which may originate from early childhood neglect and abuse.

Thirdly, is psychological in nature. Especially with difficulties in controlling emotions and impulsivity.

Marco Leyton, senor author of the study and professor in McGill’s Department of Psychiatry and Senior Scientist the the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre said,” Until recently, it was thought that psychiatric disorders reflected discrete disease entities, each with their own unique causes. The present research upends this idea, suggesting instead that most early onset disorders largely reflect differential expressions of a small number of biological, psychological and social factors.”

This study represents the first to combine the three risk factors of temperament, trauma and dopamine.

When earlier research was done in isolation of each of the contributing factors there was a modest effect seen in the development of these psychiatric issues.

This study looked at 52 young people (22 men and 30 women) residing in the Montreal and Quebec region. They had been following them since birth and examined and recorded their dopamine reward pathways by a brain MRI scan. The results of the data were then combined with collected information about each persons upbringing, history of adversities, along with their temperament characteristics.

To the researchers amazement, this combination led to a 90% accuracy of predictable outcome. It determined which participants either had past mental health challenges or developed them during the three year follow up period of the study.

Since this one of a kind study was done on such a small population with such accuracy. The research team now feels it warrants the results be replicated on a much larger body of people with a broader ethnical diversity.

This one small study makes a definitive statement to the question of “nature vs. nurture”. Suggesting a more clear case for the predictability in the development of mental health challenges in a persons life. It would seem that any combination of these three factors, temperament, trauma and dopamine pathways levels can point to a rise in expectation of psychological disorders. The hope is to use this information to guide health professionals and scientific research to come up with improved methods for treatment of the most common psychological disorders in the future.

-A Balanced Brain is a Better Brain for a Happier Life-