title: 5-HTTLPR × interpersonal stress interaction and nonsuicidal self-injury in general community sample of youth.
abstract: No research with youth has investigated whether measured genetic risk interacts with stressful environment (G⁎E) to explain engagement in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Two independent samples of youth were used to test the a priori hypothesis that the Transporter-Linked Polymorphic Region (5-HTTLPR) would interact with chronic interpersonal stress to predict NSSI. We tested this hypothesis with children and adolescents from United States public schools in two independent samples (N׳s=300 and 271) using identical procedures and methods. They were interviewed in person with the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview to assess NSSI engagement and with the UCLA Chronic Stress Interview to assess interpersonal stress. Buccal cells were collected for genotyping of 5-HTTLPR. For both samples, ANOVAs revealed the hypothesized G*E. Specifically, short carriers who experienced severe interpersonal stress exhibited the highest level of NSSI engagement. Replicated across two independent samples, results provide the first demonstration that youth at high genetic susceptibility (5-HTTLPR) and high environmental exposure (chronic interpersonal stress) are at heightened risk for NSSI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Denver, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO 80208, United States. Electronic address: ben.hankin@psy.du.edu.
authors.forename: Benjamin L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Hankin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Denver, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO 80208, United States.
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Barrocas
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States.
authors.forename: Jami F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0447, United States.
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Haberstick
authors.affiliation: Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0447, United States.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smolen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
keywords: G⁎E; Interpersonal stress; NSSI; Youth