Children's inferential styles, 5-HTTLPR genotype, and maternal expressed emotion-criticism: An integrated model for the intergenerational transmission of depression.
The authors tested a model for the intergenerational transmission of depression integrating specific genetic (5-HTTLPR), cognitive (inferential style), and environmental (mother depressive symptoms and expressed-emotion criticism [EE-Crit]) risk factors. Supporting the hypothesis that maternal depression is associated with elevated levels of stress in children's lives, mothers with a history of major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibited higher depressive symptoms across a 6-month multiwave follow-up than mothers with no depression history. In addition, partially supporting our hypothesis, levels of maternal criticism during the follow-up were significantly related to mothers' current depressive symptoms but not to history of MDD. Finally, the authors found support for an integrated Gene x Cognition x Environment model of risk. Specifically, among children with negative inferential styles regarding their self-characteristics, there was a clear dose response of 5-HTTLPR genotype moderating the relation between maternal criticism and children's depressive symptoms, with the highest depressive symptoms during the follow-up observed among children carrying 2 copies of the 5-HTTLPR lower expressing alleles (short [S] or long [LG]) who also exhibited negative inferential styles for self-characteristics and who experienced high levels of EE-Crit. In contrast, children with positive inferential styles exhibited low depressive symptoms regardless of 5-HTTLPR genotype or level of maternal criticism.
Gibb
Brandon E
BE
Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, New York 13902-6000, USA. bgibb@binghamton.edu
Uhrlass
Dorothy J
DJ
Grassia
Marie
M
Benas
Jessica S
JS
McGeary
John
J
D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010641:Phenotype; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012931:Social Environment
C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins