The role of genetics in stress effects on health and addiction

Advances in stress research have yielded new insights into how stress exposure, in combination with genetics, can contribute to poor health outcomes. We review these topics with a special emphasis on early life stress and vulnerability to addiction. The direct effects of stress and our compensatory responses can modify our physiology and behavior during future stress episodes. These consequences can influence health, including an increased propensity for addiction. The relation between stress and health is not uniform across individuals. Some people succumb to stress-related disorders while others are resilient. Specific genetic polymorphisms affect how an individual appraises and responds to stress, potentially mediating the impact of stress on health. These genetic vulnerabilities can influence responses to the external environment, shape motivated behavior, and have an impact on health throughout life.