Date: Self-paced
Venue: Online
Duration: 1 hour
Course fee: R 500 per person
CPD points = 1 (Clinical)
Register Online
Presenter: Associate Professor Nastassja Koen
Course Content
Exposure to trauma is highly prevalent – both globally and in South Africa. According to the South African Stress and Health Study, most adult South Africans have been exposed to at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetimes. There is also growing evidence of the adverse effects of perinatal traumatic stress – for both mothers and children. However, the neurobiology underpinning these associations is not yet fully understood. Epigenetic mechanisms – heritable changes in gene expression that are not caused by direct changes to the DNA sequence – may play a role.
This lecture will give an overview of global evidence - as well as emerging data from South Africa - of observed associations between exposure to traumatic stress (and related disorders) and adverse outcomes; and the potential role of epigenetics in these associations.
This course is open to: Health professionals, allied health professionals and interested members of the public