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Familial genetic risk for posttraumatic stress disorder : Associations with clinical features

Amstadter, Ananda B. ; Abrahamsson, Linda LU ; Hart, James E. ; Sundquist, Jan LU ; Kendler, Kenneth S. and Sundquist, Kristina LU (2026) In Journal of Traumatic Stress 39(3). p.426-438
Abstract

In the present study, the novel family genetic risk score (FGRS) method, a reliable quantification of latent genetic risk, was applied to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to examine associations between genetic liability and clinical features of PTSD among 3,097,180 individuals in the Swedish national registries. FGRS was calculated based on lifetime PTSD status for first- through fifth-degree relatives and examined both in PTSD cases with any lifetime registration (PTSD total) and in cases with more than one registration (recurrent PTSD) in relation to sex, age at onset (AAO), recurrence, mode of ascertainment (inpatient [IP], outpatient specialty care [SC], primary care [PC]), and comorbidities. Sex differences were not found for... (More)

In the present study, the novel family genetic risk score (FGRS) method, a reliable quantification of latent genetic risk, was applied to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to examine associations between genetic liability and clinical features of PTSD among 3,097,180 individuals in the Swedish national registries. FGRS was calculated based on lifetime PTSD status for first- through fifth-degree relatives and examined both in PTSD cases with any lifetime registration (PTSD total) and in cases with more than one registration (recurrent PTSD) in relation to sex, age at onset (AAO), recurrence, mode of ascertainment (inpatient [IP], outpatient specialty care [SC], primary care [PC]), and comorbidities. Sex differences were not found for recurrent PTSD, but for PTSD total, female registrants had a lower FGRS value compared to male registrants, M = -.017, 95% CI of difference [-.029-.005]. Higher FGRS was found at earlier AAO for PTSD total and recurrent PTSD, ps <.001, and scores were higher among individuals with comorbidities, ps <.001. Higher FGRS was related to the number of PTSD recurrences among both total PTSD and recurrent PTSD, ps <.001 (linear effect). For both PTSD types, FGRS scores were as follows: PC < SC < IP, ps <.001. The findings indicate that genetic risk for PTSD is associated with several clinical features of the disorder, which should be included in future studies of genetic risk for PTSD. Continued investigation of these clinical features in epidemiological and molecular genetic studies of PTSD is warranted to further validate the findings.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Traumatic Stress
volume
39
issue
3
pages
426 - 438
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:41820281
  • scopus:105032769300
ISSN
0894-9867
DOI
10.1002/jts.70053
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of Traumatic Stress published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
id
a0f6d717-a54c-4c03-8110-4b901cc626c7
date added to LUP
2026-04-29 16:13:45
date last changed
2026-06-10 19:41:22
@article{a0f6d717-a54c-4c03-8110-4b901cc626c7,
  abstract     = {{<p>In the present study, the novel family genetic risk score (FGRS) method, a reliable quantification of latent genetic risk, was applied to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to examine associations between genetic liability and clinical features of PTSD among 3,097,180 individuals in the Swedish national registries. FGRS was calculated based on lifetime PTSD status for first- through fifth-degree relatives and examined both in PTSD cases with any lifetime registration (PTSD total) and in cases with more than one registration (recurrent PTSD) in relation to sex, age at onset (AAO), recurrence, mode of ascertainment (inpatient [IP], outpatient specialty care [SC], primary care [PC]), and comorbidities. Sex differences were not found for recurrent PTSD, but for PTSD total, female registrants had a lower FGRS value compared to male registrants, M = -.017, 95% CI of difference [-.029-.005]. Higher FGRS was found at earlier AAO for PTSD total and recurrent PTSD, ps &lt;.001, and scores were higher among individuals with comorbidities, ps &lt;.001. Higher FGRS was related to the number of PTSD recurrences among both total PTSD and recurrent PTSD, ps &lt;.001 (linear effect). For both PTSD types, FGRS scores were as follows: PC &lt; SC &lt; IP, ps &lt;.001. The findings indicate that genetic risk for PTSD is associated with several clinical features of the disorder, which should be included in future studies of genetic risk for PTSD. Continued investigation of these clinical features in epidemiological and molecular genetic studies of PTSD is warranted to further validate the findings.</p>}},
  author       = {{Amstadter, Ananda B. and Abrahamsson, Linda and Hart, James E. and Sundquist, Jan and Kendler, Kenneth S. and Sundquist, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{0894-9867}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{426--438}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Traumatic Stress}},
  title        = {{Familial genetic risk for posttraumatic stress disorder : Associations with clinical features}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jts.70053}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/jts.70053}},
  volume       = {{39}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}