title: Fears in the General Population: More Frequent in Females and Associated With the Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism and Perceived Relationship With Mothers.
abstract: This study aimed to examine the structure of fears of youth, and its associations with gender, genetic variation of the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR), and perceived maternal acceptance/rejection and control, in a population-representative sample. Participants were 453 adolescents and 540 young adults. Fears were assessed by a 18-item Fear Questionnaire, and perceived maternal relationships by the Mother Acceptance-Rejection/Control Questionnaire. A structured psychiatric interview was used to assess current and lifetime psychiatric disorders in participants from the older cohort. A principal component analyses indicated 2 components, named Fear/Phobia and Panic/Despair. Females expressed higher level of fears and symptoms of despair regardless of the serotonin transporter genotype. The 5-HTTLPR genotype nevertheless played a role in the association between fears and perceived relationships: in S/S-genotype, more Fear/Phobia was reported by the participants who perceived greater maternal acceptance in combination with strict maternal control, and had a history of psychiatric disorder.
authors: Centre of Behavioral and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia tiia.tulviste@ut.ee.
authors: Tiia
authors: T
authors: Tulviste
authors: Centre of Behavioral and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors: Evelyn
authors: E
authors: Kiive
authors: Centre of Behavioral and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors: Kirsti
authors: K
authors: Akkermann
authors: Centre of Behavioral and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors: Jaanus
authors: J
authors: Harro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D010200:Panic / Q000502:physiology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
keywords: fears; maternal acceptance/rejection; maternal control; population representative sample; psychiatric; serotonin transporter gene