Abstract
The characteristics of the family in which we grow up can be a source of risk for psychological disorders and addictions - socioeconomic and demographic factors, psychological disorders in the parents, violence... But the family can also be a source of protection, as it is with parents and siblings that the first affective and relational bonds are formed, which largely condition the way we interact with the world during childhood and beyond. What are the biological, psychological and social mechanisms by which the characteristics of parents and the family of origin can influence people's mental health and risk of addiction? What do we know about interventions with parents and their effects on the mental health of offspring? Are there ways of transforming a complex heritage to stop intergenerational transmission? The lecture will be followed by a seminar on epigenetic transmission mechanisms that could contribute to the risk of intergenerational transmission of psychological and addiction difficulties. Research into epigenetics has opened up new opportunities for understanding the possible interactions between innate and acquired, as well as the ways in which certain risks are transmitted between generations. What do we know about epigenetics? What epigenetic markers have been identified as being associated with mental health and addiction? What are the prospects and future developments for research in this area?
