Laurie J Hannigan1, Espen Moen Eilertsen2, Line C Gjerde3, Ted Reichborn-Kjennerud4, Thalia C Eley5, Fruhling V Rijsdijk5, Eivind Ystrom6, Tom A McAdams7. 1. Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK; Medical Research Council Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK. 2. Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. 3. Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. 4. Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. 5. Medical Research Council Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK. 6. Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. 7. Medical Research Council Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK. Electronic address: tom.mcadams@kcl.ac.uk.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Maternal prenatal depression is a known risk factor for early-life psychopathology among offspring; however, potential risk transmission mechanisms need to be distinguished. We aimed to test the relative importance of passive genetic transmission, direct exposure, and indirect exposure in the association between maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and early-life internalising and externalising psychopathology in offspring. METHODS: We used structural equation modelling of phenotypic data and genetically informative relationships from the families of participants in the Norwegian Mother and Child Birth Cohort Study (MoBa). The analytic subsample of MoBa used in the current study comprises 22 195 mothers and 35 299 children. We used mothers' self-reported depressive symptoms during pregnancy, as captured by the Symptom Checklist, and their reports of symptoms of psychopathology in their offspring during the first few years of life (measured at 18, 36, and 60 months using the Child Behavior Checklist). FINDINGS: Maternal prenatal depressive symptoms were found to be associated with early-life psychopathology primarily via intergenerationally shared genetic factors, which explained 41% (95% CI 36-46) of variance in children's internalising problems and 37% (30-44) of variance in children's externalising problems. For internalising problems, phenotypic transmission also contributed significantly, accounting for 14% (95% CI 5-19) of the association, but this contribution was found to be explained by exposure to concurrent maternal depressive symptoms, rather than by direct exposure in utero. INTERPRETATION: Associations between maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and offspring behavioural outcomes in early childhood are likely to be at least partially explained by shared genes. This genetic confounding should be considered when attempting to quantify risks posed by in-utero exposure to maternal depressive symptoms. FUNDING: UK Economic and Social Research Council, Norwegian Research Council, Norwegian Ministries of Health and Care Services, and Education & Research, Wellcome Trust, Royal Society, and National Institute for Health Research.
BACKGROUND:Maternal prenatal depression is a known risk factor for early-life psychopathology among offspring; however, potential risk transmission mechanisms need to be distinguished. We aimed to test the relative importance of passive genetic transmission, direct exposure, and indirect exposure in the association between maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and early-life internalising and externalising psychopathology in offspring. METHODS: We used structural equation modelling of phenotypic data and genetically informative relationships from the families of participants in the Norwegian Mother and Child Birth Cohort Study (MoBa). The analytic subsample of MoBa used in the current study comprises 22 195 mothers and 35 299 children. We used mothers' self-reported depressive symptoms during pregnancy, as captured by the Symptom Checklist, and their reports of symptoms of psychopathology in their offspring during the first few years of life (measured at 18, 36, and 60 months using the Child Behavior Checklist). FINDINGS: Maternal prenatal depressive symptoms were found to be associated with early-life psychopathology primarily via intergenerationally shared genetic factors, which explained 41% (95% CI 36-46) of variance in children's internalising problems and 37% (30-44) of variance in children's externalising problems. For internalising problems, phenotypic transmission also contributed significantly, accounting for 14% (95% CI 5-19) of the association, but this contribution was found to be explained by exposure to concurrent maternal depressive symptoms, rather than by direct exposure in utero. INTERPRETATION: Associations between maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and offspring behavioural outcomes in early childhood are likely to be at least partially explained by shared genes. This genetic confounding should be considered when attempting to quantify risks posed by in-utero exposure to maternal depressive symptoms. FUNDING: UK Economic and Social Research Council, Norwegian Research Council, Norwegian Ministries of Health and Care Services, and Education & Research, Wellcome Trust, Royal Society, and National Institute for Health Research.
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