Differential change in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of loneliness, socialization, and mental well-being.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in mental health issues and psychological distress, disruption to work/studying conditions, and social isolation particularly among young adults. Changes in these factors are differentially associated with alcohol use. Moreover, the relationship between these factors are bidirectional and may have fluctuated throughout the different phases of the pandemic. However, studies focusing on young adults had conflicting results, short follow-up periods, and lacked comprehensive data to describe underlying mechanisms. Methods: 1067 young adults participated in repetitive measures termed wave 4 (2021) of the Survey of Adolescent Life in Västmanland Cohort "SALVe" Cohort. Of these, 889 also completed pre-pandemic measurements termed wave 3 (2018). Participants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to evaluate alcohol consumption and harmful use. Cross-sectional associations between perceived changes in alcohol use and shift in individual, mental health, and work environment factors were examined using Chi-square tests. Logistic regression was utilized to identify pre-pandemic predictors of harmful consumption during the pandemic. Results: Harmful consumption decreased only in females following the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants who reported increased feelings of depression, anxiety, and loneliness were more likely to increase their alcohol use. Interestingly, the subgroup who felt less lonely and met their friends more often, as well as those who continued working/studying from their regular workplace also had an increased likelihood of higher consumption. Only pre-pandemic ADHD and delinquency symptoms predicted harmful alcohol consumption following the pandemic. Conclusion: Females reduced harmful alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. While those who suffered the burden of social isolation and distress were more likely to increase their alcohol use, young adults who felt less lonely and met their friends more often also had a similar outcome. The relationship between loneliness and alcohol consumption among young adults is influenced by the social factors that may be facilitated by drinking.

A Three-Way Interaction of Sex, PER2 rs56013859 Polymorphism, and Family Maltreatment in Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents.

The prevalence of depressive symptoms in adolescents is 12-18% and is twice as frequent in females. Sleep problems and thoughts of death are depressive symptoms or co-occurrent phenomena. Family maltreatment is a risk factor for later depressive symptoms and the period circadian regulator (PER) has been studied in relation to neurotransmitters, adaptation to stress, and winter depression. The purpose of this work was to study the relation of the three-way interactions of sex, PER2 rs56013859, and family maltreatment in relation to core depressive symptoms, sleep complaints, and thoughts of death and suicide in self-reports from a cohort of Swedish adolescents in 2012, 2015, and 2018. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses with linear and logistic regressions were used to study the relationships to the three outcomes. The three-way interaction was related to core depressive symptoms at both baseline and six years later. In contrast, the model did not show any relation to the other dependent variables. At 13-15 years, a sex-related differential expression was observed: females with the minor allele C:C/C:T exposed to family maltreatment showed higher levels of core depressive symptoms. Six years later, the trend was inverted among carriers of minor alleles.

Do non-drinking youth drink less alcohol in young adulthood or do they catch up? Findings from a Swedish birth cohort.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption among adolescents has declined considerably during the last two decades. However, it is unknown if these adolescents' alcohol consumption will remain low as they grow older. To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies that uses longitudinal data to examine if non-drinking adolescents have a lower alcohol consumption in young adulthood or if they catch up. METHODS: A self-report survey was distributed to a birth cohort (n = 794) born in 1997 in a Swedish region when cohort members attended ninth grade (age 14-15 years) in 2012. Responders were divided into non-drinkers and alcohol users and assessed again in their late teens (17-18 years) and young adulthood (20-21 years). RESULTS: In their late teens (17-18 years), non-drinkers at baseline consumed less alcohol and had a lower probability of harmful use compared with their alcohol-using peers. In young adulthood (20-21 years), these effects disappeared when adjustment was made for covariates. However, a stratified analysis showed that non-drinking adolescents low in conduct problems consumed less alcohol and had a lower probability of harmful use in young adulthood than alcohol-using peers. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the decline in alcohol use among adolescents in the past decades may be associated with a lower alcohol consumption in the late teens and young adulthood among those low in conduct problems. This may have promising implications for alcohol-related morbidity and mortality.

Autonomic responses during Gambling: the Effect of Outcome Type and Sex in a large community sample of young adults.

Psychological theories consider autonomic arousal to be a reinforcer for problem gambling. Structural characteristics such as near-misses, which are non-win events that come close to a real win, have been shown to elicit win-like responses while increasing motivation and gambling persistence. This study investigated the autonomic and subjective responses of young adults to different gambling outcomes. This study also investigated sex differences in autonomic and subjective responses to different gambling outcomes.Participants from Sweden (n = 270) performed a computerized slot machine task that produced wins, near-misses (before and after payline) and full-misses. Phasic measurements of heart rate (HR) and skin conductance responses (SCR) were recorded during gambling performance and ratings of perceived chance of winning, pleasure and motivation to play were collected following each gambling outcome.Autonomic responses differed across slot machine outcomes as indicated by HR and SCR. Compared with other gambling outcomes, near-misses elicited the largest HR accelerations, and they also elicited larger HR decelerations and SCRs relative to full-misses. Near-misses before and after payline elicited differential psychophysiological responses and subjective reports, suggesting different emotional processing of near-miss subtypes. Females showed increased SCRs and motivation following win outcomes compared with males.In conclusion, wins, near-misses and full-misses generate differential physiological and subjective responses among young adults. Autonomic responses to wins differed between male and female players, emphasizing the need to consider sex differences when investigating the role of autonomic arousal in gambling.

Exploring decision-making strategies in the Iowa gambling task and rat gambling task.

Decision-making requires that individuals perceive the probabilities and risks associated with different options. Experimental human and animal laboratory testing provide complimentary insights on the psychobiological underpinnings of decision-making. The Iowa gambling task (IGT) is a widely used instrument that assesses decision-making under uncertainty and risk. In the task participants are faced with a choice conflict between cards with varying monetary reinforcer/loss contingencies. The rat gambling task (rGT) is a pre-clinical version using palatable reinforcers as wins and timeouts mimicking losses. However, interspecies studies elaborating on human and rat behavior in these tasks are lacking. This study explores decision-making strategies among young adults (N = 270) performing a computerized version of the IGT, and adult outbred male Lister Hooded rats (N = 72) performing the rGT. Both group and individual data were explored by normative scoring approaches and subgroup formations based on individual choices were investigated. Overall results showed that most humans and rats learned to favor the advantageous choices, but to a widely different extent. Human performance was characterized by both exploration and learning as the task progressed, while rats showed relatively consistent pronounced preferences for the advantageous choices throughout the task. Nevertheless, humans and rats showed similar variability in individual choice preferences during end performance. Procedural differences impacting on the performance in both tasks and their potential to study different aspects of decision-making are discussed. This is a first attempt to increase the understanding of similarities and differences regarding decision-making processes in the IGT and rGT from an explorative perspective.

Exploration of the Moderating Effects of Physical Activity and Early Life Stress on the Relation between Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) rs6265 Variants and Depressive Symptoms among Adolescents.

Depression affects one in five persons at 18 years of age. Allele A of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) rs6265 is considered to be a risk factor for depression. Previous studies of the interaction between BDNF rs6265, early adversity, and/or physical activity have shown mixed results. In this study, we explored the relation between BDNF rs6265 polymorphism and childhood stress, as well as the moderating effect of physical activity in relation to depressive symptoms using binary logistic regressions and process models 1, 2 and 3 applied to data obtained at three times (waves 1, 2 and 3) from the Survey of Adolescent Life in Västmanland cohort study (SALVe). Results revealed that both childhood stress and physical activity had a moderation effect; physical activity in wave 1 with an R2 change = 0.006, p = 0.013, and the Johnson−Neyman regions of significance (RoS) below 1.259, p = 0.05 for 11.97%; childhood stress in wave 2 with the R2 change = 0.008, p = 0 002, and RoS below 1.561 with 26.71% and >4.515 with 18.20%; and a three-way interaction in wave 1 in genotype AA carriers. These results suggest that allele A is susceptible to physical activity (positive environment) and childhood stress (negative environment).

Breastfeeding moderates the relationship between fat mass and obesity-associated gene rs9939609 and body mass index among adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Breastfeeding, which is important for early growth, is a possible moderator of genetic influence, such as the effect of the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) on body mass index (BMI). The aim of this study was to assess the moderating effect of breastfeeding duration on the relationship between FTO rs9939609 and BMI in a Caucasian sample. METHODS: Adolescents born in 1997 and in 1999, who were living in the Swedish county Västmanland in 2012, were invited to participate in the Survey of Adolescent Life in Västmanland. The adolescents and their parents completed self-reported questionnaires in 2012, 2015, and 2018. Genotyping of rs9939609 T > A polymorphism was conducted from saliva DNA samples. Interaction effects of parental reported breastfeeding duration in months, including regions of significance, on the relationship between rs9939609 and BMI plus overweight were assessed. RESULTS: Considering physical activity levels, parental reported breastfeeding duration was a moderator of the relationship between rs9939609 and BMI for the younger (regions of significance = <1.6 and >28.1 months) and older adolescents (region of significance = >19.9 months), but not for the young adults. Plots of the association between breastfeeding duration and BMI showed higher BMI for AA with short breastfeeding, but lower BMI with longer breastfeeding than AT and TT. Longer breastfeeding lowered the odds for overweight among the younger adolescents, especially among AA individuals. CONCLUSION: Rs9939609 AA individuals were more susceptible than AT and TT individuals to both short and long breastfeeding durations, which is consistent with the differential susceptibility hypothesis. FTO rs9939609 AA might be a plasticity variant with differential susceptibility to environmental influences. Breastfeeding duration may be one of many factors that affect the relationship between rs9939609 and BMI.

Worsened Anxiety and Loneliness Influenced Gaming and Gambling during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Aim: To study the prevalence and patterns of problematic gaming and gambling during the COVID-19 pandemic and the association with psychiatric traits and major types of anxiety categories. Method: 1067 young adults participated in both wave 3 (2018) and wave 4 (2021) of the SALVe Cohort. Associations with psychiatric symptoms and anxiety were examined using logistic regression and Chi-square tests. Results: Problematic gaming decreased by 1.3 percentage points to 23.2% since the start of the pandemic, while problematic gambling increased by 0.9 percentage points to 6.5% in w4. Average time spent playing video games/day decreased from 2.2 h (w3) to 1.7 h (w4), while increases in gaming activity were associated with worsened feelings of loneliness (p = 0.002), depression (p < 0.001), and anxiety (p < 0.01) during the pandemic. Predictors for problematic gaming at w4 were previous problematic gaming and social anxiety (p = < 0.001 and 0.01, respectively). Moreover, previous problem gambling also predicted problem gambling at w4 p < 0.001. All anxiety categories were associated with both problematic gaming and gambling when adjusted for age and sex. However, after adjusting for depression and insomnia, social anxiety was associated with problematic gaming (p < 0.001), while panic was associated with problem gambling (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Overall, problematic gaming has decreased since the start of the pandemic, while problem gambling has increased. Worsened feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety during the pandemic are associated with increased gaming. Moreover, the association between problematic gaming and gambling and anxiety is independent of depression and sleep problems.

Three-way interaction effects of early life stress, positive parenting and FKBP5 in the development of depressive symptoms in a general population.

FKBP5 gene-environment interaction (cG × E) studies have shown diverse results, some indicating significant interaction effects between the gene and environmental stressors on depression, while others lack such results. Moreover, FKBP5 has a potential role in the diathesis stress and differential susceptibility theorem. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether a cG × E interaction effect of FKBP5 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or haplotype and early life stress (ELS) on depressive symptoms among young adults was moderated by a positive parenting style (PASCQpos), through the frameworks of the diathesis stress and differential susceptibility theorem. Data were obtained from the Survey of Adolescent Life in Västmanland Cohort Study, including 1006 participants and their guardians. Data were collected during 2012, when the participants were 13 and 15 years old (Wave I: DNA), 2015, when participants were 16 and 18 years old (Wave II: PASCQpos, depressive symptomology and ELS) and 2018, when participants were 19 and 21 years old (Wave III: depressive symptomology). Significant three-way interactions were found for the FKBP5 SNPs rs1360780, rs4713916, rs7748266 and rs9394309, moderated by ELS and PASCQpos, on depressive symptoms among young adults. Diathesis stress patterns of interaction were observed for the FKBP5 SNPs rs1360780, rs4713916 and rs9394309, and differential susceptibility patterns of interaction were observed for the FKBP5 SNP rs7748266. Findings emphasize the possible role of FKBP5 in the development of depressive symptoms among young adults and contribute to the understanding of possible differential susceptibility effects of FKBP5.

Gene-environment interaction: Oxytocin receptor (OXTR) polymorphisms and parenting style as potential predictors for depressive symptoms.

Depression is a common mental health problem that is thought to develop through a combination of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors, including parental behaviours and parental mental health. The present study investigated the potential interaction between oxytocin receptor (OXTR) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs53576, rs237880, rs237887, rs237889, rs237898, rs1042778, rs2268490, rs2268491, rs4686302, rs6770632, rs13316193) and parenting style in adolescence in relation to depressive symptoms among young adults. The sample consisted of 1,098 Caucasian participants (63.6% females) and their parents. The present study included data from the Survey of Adolescent Life Cohort study collected in 2012 at wave I (mage 14.4 years; DNA collection), 2015 at wave II (mage 17.36 years; Estimation of parenting style, depressive symptoms, and parental depression) and 2018 at wave III (mage 20.19 years; Depressive symptoms). Evidence for an interaction effect between OXTR SNP rs6770632 and negative parenting style on depressive symptoms among young adults was found with support for the diathesis-stress theory. The rs6770632 was associated with depressive symptoms at higher levels of negative parenting, with A:A allele carriers reporting higher levels of depressive symptoms than C:C and C:A allele carriers. The present study provides preliminary knowledge about the potential moderation effects of perceived negative parenting on the effect of OXTR SNPs on depressive symptoms among young adults, independent of sex, previous reports of depressive symptoms, and parental depression.

Physical activity in early adolescence predicts depressive symptoms 3 years later: A community-based study.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) during adolescence is associated with a wide range of health benefits, including lower levels of internalizing and externalizing problems. Although the association between PA and mental health has been established, there are few prospective studies investigating if the association between PA and internalizing/externalizing symptoms remains after adjustment for the baseline occurrence of such symptoms, and those exploring any sex-specific pattern of the association. METHODS: Swedish adolescents (N = 1428; mean age = 14.38 years) were assessed and followed up 3 years later. Self-reported data were collected for PA (recoded as low, moderate and high levels), internalizing (depression and anxiety) and externalizing (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and disruptive behaviours) symptoms. A full path analysis was used to determine the main and interaction effects of PA and sex on internalizing/externalizing symptoms 3 years later, adjusting for these symptoms at baseline. RESULTS: Higher levels of PA were correlated with lower internalizing/externalizing symptoms. In the full path analysis, PA during early adolescence predicted lower levels of depressive symptoms, but not anxiety or externalizing problems, 3 years later. A sex-specific effect of PA on depressive symptoms was found, wherein boys, but not girls, with high levels of PA showed reduced symptoms. LIMITATIONS: Including parental ratings, diagnostic assessments and objective measures of PA would have provided additional information to the study. CONCLUSIONS: Low levels of PA during early adolescence are a unique predictor for the development of depressive symptoms among boys. PA should be considered when discussing prevention and treatment for depression in adolescents.

Psychotic-like experiences during early adolescence predict symptoms of depression, anxiety, and conduct problems three years later: A community-based study.

Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), such as delusions and hallucinations, are risk markers for psychiatric symptoms and functional impairment. However, the unique contribution of PLEs to psychiatric symptoms remains unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PLEs on psychiatric symptoms, adjusting for the baseline of such symptoms. We assessed a community-based cohort of young adolescents (N = 1445; mean age = 14.38 years, SD = 1.04) to establish a baseline and reassessed them three years later (mean age = 17.31 years, SD = 1.04). Participants reported PLEs they had experienced in the last year and any internalizing (depression and anxiety) or externalizing (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct problems) psychiatric symptoms. The experience of more PLEs predicted more internalizing symptoms three years later, and to a lesser extent, more conduct problems as well, even when adjusting for the baseline occurrence of these symptoms. The association was not sex-specific, although girls reported more PLEs than did boys. The strongest predictor of internalizing/externalizing symptoms was the occurrence of those same symptoms at baseline. These findings highlight the importance of PLEs as markers for a wide range of psychiatric symptoms, emphasizing the importance of assessing PLEs in early adolescence.

VGLUT2 rs2290045 genotype moderates environmental sensitivity to alcohol-related problems in three samples of youths.

The importance of Vesicular Glutamate Transporter 2 (VGLUT2)-mediated neurotransmission has been highlighted in studies on addiction-related phenotypes. The single nucleotide polymorphism rs2290045 in VGLUT2 has been associated with alcohol dependence, but it is unknown whether or how this association is affected by environmental factors. The present study determined whether the association of alcohol-related problems with the rs2290045 in the VGLUT2 gene was modified by negative and positive environmental factors. Three samples were included: a clinical sample of 131 adolescents followed from age 17 to 22; a general population sample of 1794 young adults; and a general population sample of 1687 adolescents followed from age 14 to 17. DNA was extracted from saliva and the rs2290045 (T/C) was genotyped. Alcohol-related problems were assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Stressful life events (SLE) and parenting were assessed by questionnaires. Gene-environment interactions were investigated using a dual statistical approach. In all samples (effect sizes 0.6-6.2%), and consistent with the differential susceptibility framework, T carriers exposed to SLE reported more alcohol-related problems if they had experienced poor parenting, and lower alcohol-related problems if they had received supportive parenting. T carriers not exposed to SLE reported higher alcohol-related problems if they had received supportive parenting and lower alcohol-related problems if they had received poor parenting. Among CC carriers, alcohol-related problems did not vary as a function of negative and positive environmental factors. In conclusion, in three samples of youths, alcohol-related problems were associated with an interaction of VGLUT2 rs2290045, SLE, and parenting.

The increased trend of non-drinking alcohol among adolescents: what role do internet activities have?

Background: Recently, an increased trend toward non-drinking among adolescents has been observed in several countries. The aim of the present study is to evaluate a common suggestion in literature, that adolescents do not drink alcohol because they spend more time on the internet, monitored at home, by examining associations between internet activities (social media/chatting and computer gaming) and non-drinking. Methods: A health questionnaire was distributed to all 9th graders (15-16 years) in a mid-sized Swedish county in 2008, 2010 and 2012. In total, 7089 students returned the questionnaire. Results: In contrast to the suggestion, no association was found between total time spent on computers and non-drinking. Social media/chatting was robustly associated with a decreased probability of non-drinking across the three survey years. On the other hand, computer gaming during weekends only (OR = 1.74, CI = 1.13-2.69) or both on weekdays and weekends increased the probability of non-drinking (OR = 1.82, CI = 1.31-2.54) in 2012 only. However, neither social media/chatting nor computer gaming was associated with the increased trend of non-drinking from 2008 to 2012. Conclusions: Internet activities were in general not associated with non-drinking among adolescents aged 15-16 years in Sweden. Although, a weak positive association between computer gaming and non-drinking was found in 2012, this effect benefited the vast majority of the boys. The larger alcohol use among those with extensive social media use/chatting may indicate that these online platforms are arenas where adolescents are exposed for positive alcohol preferences and alcohol advertising without parental supervision.

Gene-environment interaction of monoamine oxidase A in relation to antisocial behaviour: current and future directions.

Since the pioneering finding of Caspi and co-workers in 2002 that exposure to childhood maltreatment predicted later antisocial behaviour (ASB) in male carriers of the low-activity MAOA-uVNTR allele, frequent replication studies have been published. Two meta-analyses, one in 2006 and the other in 2014, confirmed the original findings by Caspi and co-workers. In the present paper, we review the literature, note some methodological aspects of candidate gene-environment interaction (cG×E) studies and suggest some future directions. Our conclusions are as follows. (1) The direction of the effect in a cG×E model may differ according to the positive and negative environmental background of the population. (2) There is a predictor-intersection problem such that when measuring one type of maltreatment in a person, other kinds of maltreatment often co-occur. Other forms of abuse are implicitly considered in statistical models; therefore, it is difficult to draw conclusions about the effects of timing and the severity of different forms of stressful life events in relation to ASB. (3) There is also an outcome-intersection problem because of the major intersection of ASB and other forms of mental health problems. It is likely that the G×E with MAOA is related to a common unmeasured factor. (4) For the G×E model, in which the effect of the gene on the outcome variable is dependent on other predictor variables, theoretically, hypothesis-driven statistical modelling is needed.

A longitudinal study of the individual- and group-level problematic gaming and associations with problem gambling among Swedish adolescents.

Aim: The aims of this study were to investigate the long-term stability of problematic gaming among adolescents and whether problematic gaming at wave 1 (W1) was associated with problem gambling at wave 2 (W2), three years later. Methods: Data from the SALVe cohort, including adolescents in Västmanland born in 1997 and 1999, were accessed and analyzed in two waves W2, N = 1576; 914 (58%) girls). At W1, the adolescents were 13 and 15 years old, and at W2, they were 16 and 18 years old. Adolescents self-rated on the Gaming Addiction Identification Test (GAIT), Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), and gambling frequencies. Stability of gaming was determined using Gamma correlation, Spearman's rho, and McNemar. Logistic regression analysis and general linear model (GLM) analysis were performed and adjusted for sex, age, and ethnicity, frequency of gambling activities and gaming time at W1, with PGSI as the dependent variable, and GAIT as the independent variable, to investigate associations between problematic gaming and problem gambling. Results: Problematic gaming was relative stable over time, γ = 0.739, p ≤ .001, ρ = 0.555, p ≤ .001, and McNemar p ≤ .001. Furthermore, problematic gaming at W1 increased the probability of having problem gambling three years later, logistic regression OR = 1.886 (95% CI 1.125-3.161), p = .016, GLM F = 10.588, η2 = 0.007, p = .001. Conclusions: Problematic gaming seems to be relatively stable over time. Although associations between problematic gaming and later problem gambling were found, the low explained variance indicates that problematic gaming in an unlikely predictor for problem gambling within this sample.

Maltreatment, the Oxytocin Receptor Gene, and Conduct Problems Among Male and Female Teenagers.

The oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) influences human behavior. The G allele of OXTR rs53576 has been associated with both prosocial and maladaptive behaviors but few studies have taken account of environmental factors. The present study determined whether the association of childhood maltreatment with conduct problems was modified by OXTR rs53576 genotypes. In a general population sample of 1591 teenagers, conduct problems as well as maltreatment were measured by self-report. DNA was extracted from saliva samples. In males, there was a significant positive association between maltreatment and conduct problems independent of the genotype. In females, among G allele carriers, the level of conduct problems was significantly higher among those who had been maltreated as compared to those not maltreated. By contrast, among female AA carriers, conduct problems did not vary between those who were, and who were not, maltreated. The results indicate that OXTR rs53576 plays a role in antisocial behavior in females such that the G allele confers vulnerability for antisocial behavior if they experience maltreatment, whereas the A allele has a protective effect.

More secure attachment to the father and the mother is associated with fewer depressive symptoms in adolescents.

AIM: To investigate whether more secure attachment to the father and the mother is associated with less depressive symptoms among adolescents, and to explore possible sex differences. METHOD: A population-based sample of adolescents completed a school-based survey assessing demographic data, attachment to father and mother, as well as depressive symptoms. Participation rate was 80% of the eligible population, and 3,988 adolescents (1,937 boys and 2,051 girls) had complete data for the analyses. RESULTS: Paired samples t tests showed that participants rated their attachment to mothers as slightly more secure than their attachment to fathers (t = 15.94, P < 0.001; boys: t = 5.23, P < 0.001; girls: t = 16.16, P < 0.001). In linear regression analyses there was an association between the outcome, number of depressive symptoms, and more secure attachment to the mother for boys (B = -0.532; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.656, -0.407, P < 0.001) and for girls (B = -0.623; 95% CI -0.730, -0.516, P < 0.001). Analogous results were found for more secure attachment to the father for boys (B = -0.499; 95% CI -0.608, -0.391, P < 0.001) and for girls (B = -0.494; 95% CI -0.586, -0.401, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the relationship between attachment to both father and mother and depressive symptoms in adolescent boys and girls is essential for further development of strategies for prevention and treatment of depression.

Individual biological sensitivity to environmental influences: testing the differential susceptibility properties of the 5HTTLPR polymorphism in relation to depressive symptoms and delinquency in two adolescent general samples.

The gene-environment interaction research field in psychiatry has traditionally been dominated by the diathesis-stress framework, where certain genotypes are assumed to confer increased risk for adverse outcomes in a stressful environment. In later years, theories of differential susceptibility, or biological sensitivity, suggest that candidate genes that interact with environmental events do not exclusively confer a risk for behavioural or psychiatric disorders but rather seem to alter the sensitivity to both positive and negative environmental influences. The present study investigates the susceptibility properties of the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5HTTLPR) in relation to depressive symptoms and delinquency in two separate adolescent community samples: n = 1457, collected in 2006; and n = 191, collected in 2001. Two-, three-, and four-way interactions between the 5HTTLPR, positive and negative family environment, and sex were found in relation to both depressive symptoms and delinquency. However, the susceptibility properties of the 5HTTLPR were distinctly less pronounced in relation to depressive symptoms. If the assumption that the 5HTTLPR induces differential susceptibility to both positive and negative environmental influences is correct, the previous failures to measure and control for positive environmental factors might be a possible explanation for former inconsistent findings within the research field.

Differential susceptibility effects of oxytocin gene (OXT) polymorphisms and perceived parenting on social anxiety among adolescents.

Social anxiety is one of the most commonly reported mental health problems among adolescents, and it has been suggested that parenting style influences an adolescent's level of anxiety. A context-dependent effect of oxytocin on human social behavior has been proposed; however, research on the oxytocin gene (OXT) has mostly been reported without considering contextual factors. This study investigated the interactions between parenting style and polymorphic variations in the OXT gene in association with social anxiety symptoms in a community sample of adolescents (n = 1,359). Two single nucleotide polymorphisms linked to OXT, rs4813625 and rs2770378, were genotyped. Social anxiety and perceived parenting style were assessed by behavioral questionnaires. In interaction models adjusted for sex, significant interaction effects with parenting style were observed for both variants in relation to social anxiety. The nature of the interactions was in line with the differential susceptibility framework for rs4813625, whereas for rs2770378 the results indicated a diathesis-stress type of interaction. The findings may be interpreted from the perspective of the social salience hypothesis of oxytocin, with rs4813625 affecting social anxiety levels along a perceived unsafe-safe social context dimension.