Polygenic Risk for Major Depression Interacts with Parental Criticism in Predicting Adolescent Depressive Symptom Development

Stefanie A. Nelemans*, Marco Boks, Bochao Lin, Tineke Oldehinkel, Pol van Lier, Susan Branje, Wim Meeus

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Research has focused more and more on the interplay between genetics and environment in predicting different forms of psychopathology, including depressive symptoms. While the polygenic nature of depressive symptoms is increasingly recognized, only few studies have applied a polygenic approach in gene-by-environment interaction (G × E) studies. Furthermore, longitudinal G × E studies on developmental psychopathological properties of depression are scarce. Therefore, this 6-year longitudinal community study examined the interaction between genetic risk for major depression and a multi-informant longitudinal index of critical parenting in relation to depressive symptom development from early to late adolescence. The sample consisted of 327 Dutch adolescents of European descent (56% boys; Mage T1 = 13.00, SDage T1 = 0.44). Polygenic risk for major depression was based on the Hyde et al. (Nature Genetics, 48, 1031–1036, 2016) meta-analysis and genetic sensitivity analyses were based on the 23andMe discovery dataset. Latent Growth Models suggested that polygenic risk score for major depression was associated with higher depressive symptoms across adolescence (significant main effect), particularly for those experiencing elevated levels of critical parenting (significant G × E). These findings highlight how polygenic risk for major depression in combination with a general environmental factor impacts depressive symptom development from early to late adolescence.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)159-176
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Youth and Adolescence
Volume50
Issue number1
Early online date23 Nov 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2021

Funding

Data of the RADAR (Research on Adolescent Development And Relationships) Young study were used (10.17026/dans-zrb-v5wp). RADAR has been financially supported by main grants from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (GB-MAGW 480-03-005, GB-MAGW 480-08-006), Stichting Achmea Slachtoffer en Samenleving (SASS), the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research to the Consortium Individual Development (CID; 024.001.003), and various other grants from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, VU University Amsterdam, and Utrecht University.

FundersFunder number
Stichting Achmea Slachtoffer en Samenleving024.001.003
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme773023
Universiteit Utrecht
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk OnderzoekGB-MAGW 480-03-005, GB-MAGW 480-08-006

    Keywords

    • Adolescence
    • Depressive symptoms
    • Gene-by-environment interaction (G × E)
    • Longitudinal
    • Parenting
    • Polygenic risk score (PRS)

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