Genetic factors explain a significant part of associations between adolescent well-being and the social environment

Weijer, Margot P van de; Pelt, Dirk H. M.; Beijsterveldt, Catharina E. M. van; Willemsen, Gonneke; Bartels, Meike

doi:10.1007/s00787-021-01798-3

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 47 publications

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“…While these associations were described in the general population, our results suggest that these patterns remain in individuals with SUD. Moreover, our findings showed that the genetic liability for well-being is associated with better outcomes, namely lower rates of outpatient treatments and fewer problems related to family and social relationships, which is consistent with the role of the genetics underlying well-being in healthy family relationships [58].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Disentangling heterogeneity in substance use disorder: Insights from genome-wide polygenic scores

Vilar-Ribó,

Cabana-Domínguez,

Alemany

et al. 2024

Transl Psychiatry

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Substance use disorder (SUD) is a global health problem with a significant impact on individuals and society. The presentation of SUD is diverse, involving various substances, ages at onset, comorbid conditions, and disease trajectories. Current treatments for SUD struggle to address this heterogeneity, resulting in high relapse rates. SUD often co-occurs with other psychiatric and mental health-related conditions that contribute to the heterogeneity of the disorder and predispose to adverse disease trajectories. Family and genetic studies highlight the role of genetic and environmental factors in the course of SUD, and point to a shared genetic liability between SUDs and comorbid psychopathology. In this study, we aimed to disentangle SUD heterogeneity using a deeply phenotyped SUD cohort and polygenic scores (PGSs) for psychiatric disorders and related traits. We explored associations between PGSs and various SUD-related phenotypes, as well as PGS-environment interactions using information on lifetime emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse. Our results identify clusters of individuals who exhibit differences in their phenotypic profile and reveal different patterns of associations between SUD-related phenotypes and the genetic liability for mental health-related traits, which may help explain part of the heterogeneity observed in SUD. In our SUD sample, we found associations linking the genetic liability for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with lower educational attainment, the genetic liability for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with higher rates of unemployment, the genetic liability for educational attainment with lower rates of criminal records and unemployment, and the genetic liability for well-being with lower rates of outpatient treatments and fewer problems related to family and social relationships. We also found evidence of PGS-environment interactions showing that genetic liability for suicide attempts worsened the psychiatric status in SUD individuals with a history of emotional physical and/or sexual abuse. Collectively, these data contribute to a better understanding of the role of genetic liability for mental health-related conditions and adverse life experiences in SUD heterogeneity.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Disentangling heterogeneity in substance use disorder: Insights from genome-wide polygenic scores

Vilar-Ribó,

Cabana-Domínguez,

Alemany

et al. 2024

Transl Psychiatry

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Bias in Gene-by-Environment Interaction Effects with Sum Scores; An Application to Well-being Phenotypes

2023

Self Cite

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In the current study, we investigated the influence of using skewed sum scores on estimated gene-by-environment interaction effects (GxE) for life satisfaction and happiness with perceived social support. To this end, we analyzed item-level data from a large adult twin sample (Ns between 3610 and 11,305) of the Netherlands Twin Register. Item response theory (IRT) models were incorporated in unmeasured (univariate) GxE models, and measured GxE models (with social support as moderator). We found that skewness introduced spurious GxE effects, with the largest effect for the most skewed variable (social support). Finally, in the IRT model for life satisfaction, but not for happiness, heritability estimates decreased with higher social support, while this was not observed when analyzing sum scores. Together, our results indicate that IRT can be used to address psychometric issues related to the use of sum scores, especially in the context of GxE, for complex traits like well-being.

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Multiple social factors are associated with wellbeing when accounting for shared genetic and environmental confounding

Bjørndal,

Nes,

Ayorech

et al. 2024

Qual Life Res

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Purpose Social factors are associated with mental health and wellbeing. However, few studies have examined genetic and environmental influences on social factors themselves, limiting current understanding of influences on aspects of the social environment. Most studies which have identified links between social factors and mental health are also limited by the possible influence of unmeasured genetic and environmental confounding. In this study, we investigated the genetic and environmental underpinnings of multiple social factors (relationship satisfaction, loneliness, attachment, trust, relationship disruptions), and their associations with life satisfaction measured concurrently and six years later, after accounting for shared genetic and environmental confounding. Methods Data from a population-based sample of adult twins (N = 1987) and two measurement timepoints were used for the primary analyses. We used multivariate Cholesky models to estimate genetic and environmental influences across five social factors. Subsequently, we conducted co-twin control analyses to examine associations between social factors and wellbeing after controlling for shared genetic and environmental confounding. Results Heritability estimates for the social factors ranged from 24 to 42%. Genetic correlations across social factors were substantial, indicative of considerable genetic overlap. Associations between wellbeing and relationship satisfaction, loneliness, anxious and avoidant attachment, trust, and disruptions in relationships in the past year were attenuated in co-twin control analyses but remained statistically significant. Relationship satisfaction, loneliness, and attachment avoidance were also associated with wellbeing measured six years later in estimates which controlled for shared genetic and environmental confounding. Conclusion Our findings provide evidence that multiple social factors are associated with wellbeing after accounting for potential confounding by shared genetic and/or environmental factors. These findings highlight the importance of multiple aspects of the social environment for wellbeing in older adulthood. Future studies should examine the directionality in associations between social factors and mental health and assess these relationships beyond older adulthood.

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Genetic factors explain a significant part of associations between adolescent well-being and the social environment

Cited by 5 publications

References 47 publications

Disentangling heterogeneity in substance use disorder: Insights from genome-wide polygenic scores

Disentangling heterogeneity in substance use disorder: Insights from genome-wide polygenic scores

Bias in Gene-by-Environment Interaction Effects with Sum Scores; An Application to Well-being Phenotypes

Multiple social factors are associated with wellbeing when accounting for shared genetic and environmental confounding

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