title: Family Economic Hardship, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Polymorphisms, and Depressive Symptoms in Rural African-American Youths.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to use pooled data from two independent studies of rural African-American youths to test the moderation effect of the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 gene (CRHR1) on the link between family economic hardship and trajectories of depressive symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two longitudinal studies were conducted involving African-Americans, aged 16 (N = 474) and 18 (N = 419) years, who were randomly recruited in rural Georgia. Family economic hardship and youths' depressive symptoms were assessed four times across 2.5 years. Genetic data also were collected. Haplotype analysis was performed on single-nucleotide polymorphisms of CRHR1; two haplotypes were aggregated to form a CRHR1 index. Growth curve models were executed to determine whether CRHR1 moderated the link between Wave 1 family economic hardship and youths' development of depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CRHR1 × family economic hardship interactions significantly predicted youths' depressive symptoms. When exposed to family economic hardship 1 standard deviation above the mean at Wave 1, youths who scored 0 on the CRHR1 index showed high and increasing depressive symptoms across time, whereas those who scored 2 on the index showed a decrease in depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CRHR1 gene reduces the risk for depressive symptoms among youths living in families undergoing high levels of economic hardship.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, National Taipei University, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Electronic address: yifuchen@mail.ntpu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Yi-fu
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
authors.forename: Gene H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Brody
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D001741:Black or African American / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000235:genetics*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D000099052:CRF Receptor, Type 1
chemical_list: D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D000099052:CRF Receptor, Type 1
keywords: African-Americans; CRHR1; Depression; Economic hardship; Gene × environment interaction