A protective genetic variant for adverse environments? The role of childhood traumas and serotonin transporter gene on resilience and depressive severity in a high-risk population

• Published in: European psychiatry Vol. 26; no. 8; pp. 471 - 478
• Main Authors: Carli, V, Mandelli, L, Zaninotto, L, Roy, A, Recchia, L, Stoppia, L, Gatta, V, Sarchiapone, M, Serretti, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Elsevier SAS 01-11-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Adult Survivors of Child Abuse - psychology; Affective disorders; Biological and medical sciences; Depression; Depressive Disorder - etiology; Depressive Disorder - genetics; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Gene-Environment Interaction; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - psychology; Genetics; Humans; Internal Medicine; Life Change Events; Male; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; Mood disorders; Polymorphism, Genetic; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology - methods; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Resilience, Psychological; Risk Factors; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins - genetics; Severity of Illness Index; Stress; Stress, Psychological - complications; Affective disorders; Genetics; Stress; Affective disorder; Mood disorder; High risk; Genetic variant; Early traumatism; Depression; Genetic determinism; Resilience
• ISSN: 0924-9338; 1778-3585; 1778-3585
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2011.04.008

Abstract Genetic aspects may influence the effect of early adverse events on psychological well being in adulthood. In particular, a common polymorphism within the serotonin transporter gene ( 5-HTTLPR short/long) has been associated to the risk for stress-induced psychopathology. In the present study we investigated the role of childhood traumas and 5-HTTLPR on measures of psychological resilience and depression in a sample of individuals at a high risk for psychological distress (763 male prisoners). The 5-HTTLPR genotype did not influence resilience and depressive severity. However, a significant interaction was observed between 5-HTTLPR and childhood traumas on both resilience and depressive severity. In particular, among subjects exposed to severe childhood trauma only, the long-allele was associated to lower resilience scores and increased current depressive severity as compared to short/short homozygous. Sex specific effects, difference in type and duration of stressors and the specific composition of the sample may explain discrepancy with many studies reporting the short-allele as a vulnerability factor for reactivity to stress. We here speculated that in males the long-allele may confer lower resilience and therefore higher vulnerability for depressive symptoms in subjects exposed to early stress and currently living in stressful environments.