Differential susceptibility in youth: evidence that 5-HTTLPR x positive parenting is associated with positive affect 'for better and worse'.

ABSTRACT: Positive affect has been implicated in the phenomenological experience of various psychiatric disorders, vulnerability to develop psychopathology and overall socio-emotional functioning. However, developmental influences that may contribute to positive affect have been understudied. Here, we studied youths' 5-HTTLPR genotype and rearing environment (degree of positive and supportive parenting) to investigate the differential susceptibility hypothesis (DSH) that youth carrying short alleles of 5-HTTLPR would be more influenced and responsive to supportive and unsupportive parenting, and would exhibit higher and lower positive affect, respectively. Three independent studies tested this gene-environment interaction (GxE) in children and adolescents (age range 9-15 years; total N=1874). In stu

SUBMITTER: Hankin BL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3309487 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature