The effects of the interplay of genetics and early environmental risk on the course of internalizing symptoms from late childhood through adolescence.
Internalizing symptoms during adolescence and beyond is a major public health concern, particularly because severe symptoms can lead to the diagnosis of a number of serious psychiatric conditions. This study utilizes a unique sample with a complex statistical method in order to explore Gene × Environment interactions found in internalizing symptoms during adolescence. Data for this study were drawn from a longitudinal prevention intervention study (n = 798) of Baltimore city school children. Internalizing symptom data were collected using self-report and blood or saliva samples genotyped using Affymetrix 6.0 microarrays. A major depression polygenic score was created for each individual using information from the major depressive disorder Psychiatric Genetics Consortium and used as a predictor in a latent trait-state-occasion model. The major depressive disorder polygenic score was a significant predictor of the stable latent trait variable, which captures time-independent phenotypic variability. In addition, an early childhood stressor of death or divorce was a significant predictor of occasion-specific variables. A Gene × Environment interaction was not a significant predictor of the latent trait or occasion variables. These findings support the importance of genetics on the stable latent trait portion of internalizing symptoms across adolescence.
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Rashelle J
RJ
Musci
Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
Katherine E
KE
Masyn
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Kelly
K
Benke
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Brion
B
Maher
NIH-IRP NIDA Molecular Neurobiology Branch.
George
G
Uhl
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Nicholas S
NS
Ialongo
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D020412:Multifactorial Inheritance; D010641:Phenotype; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult