J Silberg1, M Rutter, M Neale, L Eaves. 1. Department of Human Genetics, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0030, USA. jsilberg@hsc.vcu.edu
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is huge individual variation in people's response to negative life events. AIMS: To test the hypothesis that genetic factors moderate susceptibility to the environmentally mediated risks associated with negative life events. METHOD: The Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development (VTSABD) was used to study the effects of independent life events (assessed from maternal interview) on depression/anxiety (assessed from child interview) in 184 same-gender female twin pairs, aged 14--7 years, measured on two occasions. RESULTS: There was no genetic effect on the independent negative life events studied. A significant gene-environment interaction was found using structural equation modelling. There was no effect of independent life events on adolescents' depression in the absence of parental emotional disorder, but a significant effect in its presence. CONCLUSIONS: There is an environmentally mediated effect of life events on depression/anxiety. Genetic factors play a significant role in individual differences in susceptibility to these environmentally mediated risks.
BACKGROUND: There is huge individual variation in people's response to negative life events. AIMS: To test the hypothesis that genetic factors moderate susceptibility to the environmentally mediated risks associated with negative life events. METHOD: The Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development (VTSABD) was used to study the effects of independent life events (assessed from maternal interview) on depression/anxiety (assessed from child interview) in 184 same-gender female twin pairs, aged 14--7 years, measured on two occasions. RESULTS: There was no genetic effect on the independent negative life events studied. A significant gene-environment interaction was found using structural equation modelling. There was no effect of independent life events on adolescents' depression in the absence of parental emotional disorder, but a significant effect in its presence. CONCLUSIONS: There is an environmentally mediated effect of life events on depression/anxiety. Genetic factors play a significant role in individual differences in susceptibility to these environmentally mediated risks.
Authors: Soledad Romero; Boris Birmaher; David A Axelson; Ana-Maria Iosif; Douglas E Williamson; Mary Kay Gill; Benjamin I Goldstein; Michael A Strober; Jeffrey Hunt; Tina R Goldstein; Christianne Esposito-Smythers; Satish Iyengar; Neal D Ryan; Martin Keller Journal: J Clin Psychiatry Date: 2009-10 Impact factor: 4.384
Authors: Katariina Salmela-Aro; Sanna Read; Eero Vuoksimaa; Tellervo Korhonen; Danielle M Dick; Jaakko Kaprio; Richard J Rose Journal: Twin Res Hum Genet Date: 2014-06-16 Impact factor: 1.587