Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The joint effects of genetic liability and the death of close relatives on risk for major depression and alcohol use disorder in a Swedish national sample

Kendler, Kenneth S. LU ; Lönn, Sara L. LU ; Sundquist, Jan LU and Sundquist, Kristina LU (2024) In Psychological Medicine
Abstract

Background. To determine whether genetic risk factors for major depression (MD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) interact with a potent stressor – death of spouse, parent, and sibling – in predicting episodes of, respectively, MD and AUD. Methods. MD and AUD registrations were assessed from national Swedish registries. In individuals born in Sweden 1960–1970, we identified 7586, 388 459, and 34 370 with the loss of, respectively, a spouse, parent, and sibling. We started following subjects at age 18 or the year 2002 with end of follow-up in 2018. We examined time to event – a registration for MD within 6 months or AUD within a year – on an additive scale, using the Nelson–Aalen estimator. Genetic risk was assessed by the Family Genetic... (More)

Background. To determine whether genetic risk factors for major depression (MD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) interact with a potent stressor – death of spouse, parent, and sibling – in predicting episodes of, respectively, MD and AUD. Methods. MD and AUD registrations were assessed from national Swedish registries. In individuals born in Sweden 1960–1970, we identified 7586, 388 459, and 34 370 with the loss of, respectively, a spouse, parent, and sibling. We started following subjects at age 18 or the year 2002 with end of follow-up in 2018. We examined time to event – a registration for MD within 6 months or AUD within a year – on an additive scale, using the Nelson–Aalen estimator. Genetic risk was assessed by the Family Genetic Risk Score (FGRS). Results. In separate models controlling for the main effects of death of spouse, parent, and sibling, FGRS, and sex, significant interactions were seen in all analyses between genetic risk for MD and death of relative in prediction of subsequent MD registration. A similar pattern of results, albeit with weaker interaction effects, was seen for genetic risk for AUD and risk for AUD registration. Genetic risk for bipolar disorder (BD) and anxiety disorders (AD) also interacted with event exposure in predicting MD. Conclusions. Genetic risk for both MD and AUD act in part by increasing the sensitivity of individuals to the pathogenic effects of environmental stressors. For prediction of MD, similar effects are also seen for genetic risk for AD and BD.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
alcohol use disorder, death of relatives, gene × environment interaction, major depression
in
Psychological Medicine
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:38173119
  • scopus:85182635060
ISSN
0033-2917
DOI
10.1017/S0033291723003641
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
62107034-9cce-4271-9907-91047fa5a492
date added to LUP
2024-02-16 13:07:42
date last changed
2024-04-17 06:51:09
@article{62107034-9cce-4271-9907-91047fa5a492,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background. To determine whether genetic risk factors for major depression (MD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) interact with a potent stressor – death of spouse, parent, and sibling – in predicting episodes of, respectively, MD and AUD. Methods. MD and AUD registrations were assessed from national Swedish registries. In individuals born in Sweden 1960–1970, we identified 7586, 388 459, and 34 370 with the loss of, respectively, a spouse, parent, and sibling. We started following subjects at age 18 or the year 2002 with end of follow-up in 2018. We examined time to event – a registration for MD within 6 months or AUD within a year – on an additive scale, using the Nelson–Aalen estimator. Genetic risk was assessed by the Family Genetic Risk Score (FGRS). Results. In separate models controlling for the main effects of death of spouse, parent, and sibling, FGRS, and sex, significant interactions were seen in all analyses between genetic risk for MD and death of relative in prediction of subsequent MD registration. A similar pattern of results, albeit with weaker interaction effects, was seen for genetic risk for AUD and risk for AUD registration. Genetic risk for bipolar disorder (BD) and anxiety disorders (AD) also interacted with event exposure in predicting MD. Conclusions. Genetic risk for both MD and AUD act in part by increasing the sensitivity of individuals to the pathogenic effects of environmental stressors. For prediction of MD, similar effects are also seen for genetic risk for AD and BD.</p>}},
  author       = {{Kendler, Kenneth S. and Lönn, Sara L. and Sundquist, Jan and Sundquist, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{0033-2917}},
  keywords     = {{alcohol use disorder; death of relatives; gene × environment interaction; major depression}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Psychological Medicine}},
  title        = {{The joint effects of genetic liability and the death of close relatives on risk for major depression and alcohol use disorder in a Swedish national sample}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291723003641}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S0033291723003641}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}