title: A protective genetic variant for adverse environments? The role of childhood traumas and serotonin transporter gene on resilience and depressive severity in a high-risk population.
abstract: Genetic aspects may influence the effect of early adverse events on psychological well being in adulthood. In particular, a common polymorphism within the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR short/long) has been associated to the risk for stress-induced psychopathology. In the present study we investigated the role of childhood traumas and 5-HTTLPR on measures of psychological resilience and depression in a sample of individuals at a high risk for psychological distress (763 male prisoners). The 5-HTTLPR genotype did not influence resilience and depressive severity. However, a significant interaction was observed between 5-HTTLPR and childhood traumas on both resilience and depressive severity. In particular, among subjects exposed to severe childhood trauma only, the long-allele was associated to lower resilience scores and increased current depressive severity as compared to short/short homozygous. Sex specific effects, difference in type and duration of stressors and the specific composition of the sample may explain discrepancy with many studies reporting the short-allele as a vulnerability factor for reactivity to stress. We here speculated that in males the long-allele may confer lower resilience and therefore higher vulnerability for depressive symptoms in subjects exposed to early stress and currently living in stressful environments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mandelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zaninotto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Recchia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stoppia
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gatta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarchiapone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serretti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011599:Psychopathology / Q000379:methods; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012307:Risk Factors; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins