Association between child maltreatment and depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood: The mediating and moderating roles of DNA methylation.

ABSTRACT: Prospective studies suggest that child maltreatment substantially increases the risk for depression in adulthood. However, the mechanisms underlying this association require further elucidation. In recent years, DNA methylation has emerged as a potential mechanism by which maltreatment experiences (a) could partly explain the emergence or aggravation of depressive symptoms (i.e., mediation) and/or (b) could increase (or decrease) the risk for depressive symptoms (i.e., moderation). The present study tested whether the methylation levels of nine candidate genes mediated and/or moderated the association between maltreatment experiences in childhood and depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood. The sample comprised 156 men aged between 18 and 35 years. Maltreatment experiences and depressive

SUBMITTER: Comtois-Cabana M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9836296 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature