Effect of gene, environment and maternal depressive symptoms on pre-adolescence behavior problems – a longitudinal study

Abstract

BackgroundDepression is a common and disabling condition with a high relapse frequency. Maternal mental health problems and experience of traumatic life events are known to increase the risk of behavior problems in children. Recently, genetic factors, in particular gene-by-environment interaction models, have been implicated to explain depressive etiology. However, results are inconclusive.MethodsStudy participants were members of the SESBiC-study. A total of 889 mothers and their children were followed during the child’s age of 3 months to 12 years. Information on maternal depressive symptoms was gathered postpartum and at a 12 year follow-up. Mothers reported on child behavior and traumatic life events experienced by the child at age 12. Saliva samples were obtained from children for analysis of 5-HTTLPR and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms.ResultsMultivariate analysis showed a significant association between maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety, and internalizing problems in 12-year-old children (OR 5.72, 95% CI 3.30-9.91). Furthermore, carriers of two short alleles (s/s) of the 5-HTTLPR showed a more than 4-fold increased risk of internalizing problems at age 12 compared to l/l carriers (OR 4.73, 95% CI 2.14-10.48). No gene-by-environment interaction was found and neither depressive symptoms postpartum or traumatic experiences during childhood stayed significant in the final model.ConclusionsConcurrent maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety are significant risk factors for behavior problems in children, which need to be taken into account in clinical practice. Furthermore, we found a main effect of 5-HTTLPR on internalizing symptoms in 12-year-old children, a finding that needs to be confirmed in future studies.

Social stress regulation in 4-month-old infants: Contribution of maternal social engagement and infants' 5-HTTLPR genotype

“…5-HTTLPR codes for serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and may be individually expressed in a short (S) or long (L) allelic variant [16], with the former being linked to reduced 5-HTT transcription and to a heightened risk for negative developmental outcomes, such as emotional and affective disorders in adolescence and adulthood [17,18]. During infancy, the 5-HTTLPR is related to stress regulation and negative emotionality.…”

5-HTTLPR Expression Outside the Skin: An Experimental Test of the Emotional Reactivity Hypothesis in Children

“…However, findings on these gene-by-environment interactions (i.e., G×E) have been mixed. It has been difficult to reliably replicate earlier findings [ 2 – 5 ], and we know little about how these interactions work (i.e., the underlying mechanisms or “how genes get outside the skin”). Emotional reactivity has been put forward as a possible explaining mechanism of the interplay between, specifically, affective environmental risk factors (e.g., angry, harsh parenting, parental martial conflict) and the 5-HTTLPR [ 6 , 7 ].…”

A Biopsychosocial and Long Term Perspective on Child Behavioral Problems : Impact of Risk and Resilience

“…The lack of a gene-environment effect in the present study could be explained by additional experience of stressful life events between ages 3 and 12 that were not considered in the present study. Such an interaction was not, however, present in a previous study on the same population (Agnafors et al, 2013b). The main effect of the 5-HTTLPR on internalizing problems was consistent over all three models, indicating an accountable impact.…”