Life stress, 5-HTTLPR and mental disorder: findings from a 30-year longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recent meta-analyses have raised concerns about the replicability of gene × environment interactions involving the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) in moderating the associations between adverse life events and mental disorders.

Aims

To use data gathered over the course of a 30-year longitudinal study of a New Zealand birth cohort to test the hypothesis that the presence of short ('s') alleles of 5-HTTLPR are associated with an increased response to life stress.

Method

Participants were 893 individuals from the Christchurch Health and Development Study who had complete data on: the 5-HTTLPR genotype; psychiatric disorders up to the age of 30; and exposure to childhood and adult adverse life events.

Results

A series of 104 regression models were

SUBMITTER: Fergusson DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3031653 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature