User:SShrestha/Week 4 Shrestha

Summary of Ideas
The epigenetics of depression is a field of study that observes the epigenetic changes depression makes. Depression is a neuropsychiatric disorder that has emotional and behavioral symptoms. Depression can be life altering and impact a patient's quality of life as well as jeopardize their life itself. It is important to look at this disorder from the epigenetic perspective to better understand how this disorder can be inherited by offspring as well as continue to hurt the suffering individual over their lifespan. Mental health awareness is gaining popularity among society, but the structural framework around mental illness still carries heavy stigma and treats depression as a transitory mood rather than an illness.

To improve the Epigenetics of Depression article, I would look at more reviews of the work relating to this topic. The current body of the article relies too heavily on primary literature which Wikipedia will flag because it is not as reliable as reviewed work that is less personally involved in the research itself.

Environmental stressors influence epigenetic changes. The article currently doesn't stop on the impact of these influences which are important to understand the context epigenetic changes may occur. Understanding the changes in molecular structures in relation to environmental stressors can be key in understanding the impact of historical events as well as human psychology. The Dutch Famine epigenetic study is a key example in how environment can produce epigenetic changes observed through generations. This idea of transgenerational influences can translate to the epigenetics of depression by informing studies on the transgenerational implications of mental illness.