Abstract
The article presents a literature review of mental disorders, particularly anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), which are among the most serious medical and social consequences of war and chronic psychosocial
stress. Current scientific evidence indicates that these conditions are polygenic and arise from a complex interplay among genetic,
epigenetic, and environmental factors. Genetic variants that regulate neurotransmitter systems, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal
axis function, neuroplasticity, and inflammatory processes determine individual vulnerability or resilience to stress.
Findings from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) confirm that the risk of anxiety and stress-related disorders
is driven by the cumulative effect of numerous genetic variants, predominantly located in regulatory regions of the genome.
Key roles are played by genes in the serotonergic system (SLC6A4), catecholamine metabolism (COMT, MAOA), stress-response
regulation (FKBP5, CRHR1), neuroplasticity (BDNF), and the balance between glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission.
Epigenetic mechanisms induced by prolonged stress can consolidate maladaptive neurobiological changes and promote the
chronicity of mental disorders.
In the context of the war in Ukraine, where millions of individuals are exposed to prolonged and repetitive psychological
trauma, the expression of genetic and epigenetic vulnerability becomes particularly clinically relevant. Understanding the molecular
and genetic mechanisms underlying the development of anxiety, depression, and PTSD provides a foundation for implementing
personalized strategies for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of mental disorders in general medical practice and
across the healthcare system of Ukraine as a whole.
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