In recent decades, neuroscientific theories began to be adopted as central to the etiology of mental disorders explanation. Aiming to find the foundations of disorders, investigations took prioritized genetic load and brain functioning. From the valuation of biological determination of diseases and the emergence of various technologies of medical research, one has suggested the possibility that the causes of disorders were finally understood. However, several difficulties and challenges mark the neuroscientific project biological foundation of disease etiology. The recent introduction of the notion of epigenetics in the psychiatric field has been considered essential to renew the hope of understanding the etiology of disorders. From the analysis of review articles, this article aims to examine the appropriation of the concept of epigenetics by contemporary psychiatric field, identifying their origins and describing their main characteristics, and reflect on the consequences of their adoption. Besides contributing to the redefinition of etiological theories in the psychiatric field, the notion of epigenetics imposes a reconfiguration of genetic knowledge and, to some extent, the deterministic and reductionist design of biological foundation of mental disorders itself, allowing for more nuanced interpretations of neuroscience and contemporary psychiatry.
Biological psychiatry; neuroscience; etiology