Decomposing genetic effects of social connectedness and depression on youth behaviors and long-term clinical outcomes.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Lacking social connectedness is associated with broad morbidity. Yet the underlying mechanisms remain obscures, especially given its entanglement with depressive symptoms. Clarifying whether social connectedness confers unique risk beyond depression can guide clinical care and social infrastructure interventions.

Objective

To decompose shared genetic architecture between social connectedness and depressive affect, derive independent polygenic liabilities, and test their differential associations with youth behaviors, digital engagement, and adult clinical outcomes.

Design setting and participants

Using summary statisitcs from eight genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on social connectedness related traits, we extracted two orthogonal latent genetic facto

SUBMITTER: Shao L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12668031 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature