Biological markers of major psychiatric disorders

Psychiatric diseases are characterized by affective, behavioral, and cognitive abnormalities. Psychiatric illnesses produce some of the most challenging health problems faced by society, accounting for vast numbers of hospitalizations, disabilities resulting in billions in lost productivity, and sharply elevated risks for suicide. A substantial contribution of genetic factors to the risk of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism has already been established. Genetic studies have provided some valuable insight into the causes and potential therapies for psychiatric disorders. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the understanding of the genetic etiology of psychiatric illnesses will be more successful with integrative approaches considering both genetic and epigenetic factors