Interplay between genetic background and environmental factors in psychiatry:current situation and future prospects

Background The hypothesis that etiopathogeneses of psychiatric disorders are determined by interplay between genetic background and environmental factors, as well their interactions can increasingly be put to direct scientific test, based on a wave of methodological, technological and knowledge developments. Aim To provide insight into and to provide perspective on some important scientific developments and facilitate challenges in this area. Method Narrative overview of the scientific literature and formulation of a concept and future perspective. Results The overview points to concrete progress in the fields of genetic epidemiology, environmental analyses, gene-environment interactions and epigenetics in psychiatry. For example, recent studies have provided evidence for the existence of interactions and correlations between genetic and environmental factors, interdependence of risk-influencing effects of environmental factors, and translational neurobiological studies have identified biological processes that influence the impact of (or the response to) environmental influences on individuals mediate. These important steps to translate epidemiological research into testable biological hypotheses are facilitated by new techniques and the availability of large and relevant clinical and biological datasets. Conclusion Scientific progress on the interplay between genetic background and environmental factors enriches the conceptual framework of the etiopathogenesis of mental disorders and provides a future perspective in which we are likely to receive answers to a number of clinically relevant questions in the coming decade