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Relational Security Moderates the Effect of Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) on Stress Generation and Depression among Adolescents

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Abstract

Previous research demonstrates that carriers of the short allele of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) show both greater susceptibility to depression in response to stressful life events and higher rates of generation of stressful events in response to depression. The current study examines relational security (i.e., self-reported beliefs about attachment security) as a moderator of these effects, building on emerging research suggesting that the short allele acts as a marker of sensitivity to the social environment. Participants were 354 Caucasian adolescents oversampled for maternal depression (137 male, 217 female), assessed at ages 15 and 20. Results indicated that the short allele predicted increased stress generation at age 20 among those with low age 15 security but decreased stress generation among those with high security, and revealed a three-way interaction between age 15 depression, age 15 security, and genotype, where depression predicted stress generation only among short allele carriers with low security. Further, among boys only, security interacted with genotype to predict longitudinal changes in depression diagnosis, with the s-allele predicting relative increases in probability of depression among boys with low security but decreases among boys with high security. Results support the notion of the short allele as a marker of social reactivity, and suggest that attachment security may buffer against the genetic vulnerability introduced by the short allele, in line with predictions of the differential susceptibility theory.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by National Institute for Mental Health R01 MH52239 to Brennan, Hammen, and Najman. We thank Robyne LeBrocque, Cheri Dalton Comber, and Sascha Hardwicke (project coordinators) and their interview staff. We also acknowledge staff of the Genetic Epidemiological Laboratory of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research: Professor Nick Martin (Head) for cooperation and access, Michael James and Leanne Ryan for 5-HTTLPR and rs25531 genotyping, and Megan Campbell and Dixie Statham who coordinated genetic data collection and analysis. We are also grateful to the original MUSP principals, William Bor, MD, Michael O’Callaghan, MD, and Professor Gail Williams.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1285 Franz Hall, Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1563, USA

    Lisa R. Starr & Constance Hammen

  2. Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Patricia A. Brennan

  3. School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    Jake M. Najman

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  1. Lisa R. Starr
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  2. Constance Hammen
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Correspondence to Lisa R. Starr.

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Starr, L.R., Hammen, C., Brennan, P.A. et al. Relational Security Moderates the Effect of Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) on Stress Generation and Depression among Adolescents. J Abnorm Child Psychol 41, 379–388 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-012-9682-z

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