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Peer Social Genetic Effects and the Etiology of Substance Use Disorders, Major Depression, and Anxiety Disorder in a Swedish National Sample

Salvatore, Jessica E. ; Ohlsson, Henrik LU ; Sundquist, Jan LU ; Sundquist, Kristina LU and Kendler, Kenneth S. (2024) In The American journal of psychiatry 181(9). p.824-833
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: There is growing interest in how peers' genotypes may influence health (i.e., peer social genetic effects). The authors sought to clarify the nature of peer social genetic effects on risk for drug use disorder, alcohol use disorder (AUD), major depression, and anxiety disorder. METHOD: Cox models were used with data from a population-based Swedish cohort (N=655,327). Outcomes were drug use disorder, AUD, major depression, and anxiety disorder registrations between ages 17 and 30 from medical, criminal, and pharmacy registries. The authors indexed peer social genetic effects with peers' family genetic risk scores (FGRSs) for the same disorders, which are personalized measures of genetic risk inferred from diagnoses in first-... (More)

OBJECTIVE: There is growing interest in how peers' genotypes may influence health (i.e., peer social genetic effects). The authors sought to clarify the nature of peer social genetic effects on risk for drug use disorder, alcohol use disorder (AUD), major depression, and anxiety disorder. METHOD: Cox models were used with data from a population-based Swedish cohort (N=655,327). Outcomes were drug use disorder, AUD, major depression, and anxiety disorder registrations between ages 17 and 30 from medical, criminal, and pharmacy registries. The authors indexed peer social genetic effects with peers' family genetic risk scores (FGRSs) for the same disorders, which are personalized measures of genetic risk inferred from diagnoses in first- to fifth-degree relatives. RESULTS: Across disorders, peer FGRSs predicted increased risks of proband registration (hazard ratio range, 1.01-1.59), with stronger effects for drug use disorder and AUD than for major depression and anxiety disorder. Peer social genetic effects were stronger for school classmates than for geographically proximal peers, and for peers from upper secondary school (ages 16-19) versus peers from lower secondary school (ages 7-16). Peer social genetic effects remained significant following statistical control for sociodemographic confounders, whether peers were affected, and peers' FGRS for educational attainment. Peer social genetic effects were more pronounced for probands at higher genetic risk. CONCLUSIONS: The genetic makeup of adolescents' peers has long-reaching consequences on risks for drug use disorder, AUD, major depression, and anxiety disorder. Individuals at high genetic risk are more sensitive to social genetic effects. Alternative hypotheses such as sociodemographic stratification, exposure to affected peers, and genetic predispositions for educational attainment did not explain the risk associated with peer social genetic effects for substance use and psychiatric disorders.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adolescence, Anxiety Disorder, Family Genetic Risk Score, Major Depression, Peer Social Genetic Effects, Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders
in
The American journal of psychiatry
volume
181
issue
9
pages
10 pages
publisher
American Psychiatric Association
external identifiers
  • scopus:85202984781
  • pmid:39108160
ISSN
1535-7228
DOI
10.1176/appi.ajp.20230358
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e6f2116c-9ade-492c-8be2-8a6db26fabd3
date added to LUP
2024-11-26 14:00:40
date last changed
2025-07-09 08:42:14
@article{e6f2116c-9ade-492c-8be2-8a6db26fabd3,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVE: There is growing interest in how peers' genotypes may influence health (i.e., peer social genetic effects). The authors sought to clarify the nature of peer social genetic effects on risk for drug use disorder, alcohol use disorder (AUD), major depression, and anxiety disorder. METHOD: Cox models were used with data from a population-based Swedish cohort (N=655,327). Outcomes were drug use disorder, AUD, major depression, and anxiety disorder registrations between ages 17 and 30 from medical, criminal, and pharmacy registries. The authors indexed peer social genetic effects with peers' family genetic risk scores (FGRSs) for the same disorders, which are personalized measures of genetic risk inferred from diagnoses in first- to fifth-degree relatives. RESULTS: Across disorders, peer FGRSs predicted increased risks of proband registration (hazard ratio range, 1.01-1.59), with stronger effects for drug use disorder and AUD than for major depression and anxiety disorder. Peer social genetic effects were stronger for school classmates than for geographically proximal peers, and for peers from upper secondary school (ages 16-19) versus peers from lower secondary school (ages 7-16). Peer social genetic effects remained significant following statistical control for sociodemographic confounders, whether peers were affected, and peers' FGRS for educational attainment. Peer social genetic effects were more pronounced for probands at higher genetic risk. CONCLUSIONS: The genetic makeup of adolescents' peers has long-reaching consequences on risks for drug use disorder, AUD, major depression, and anxiety disorder. Individuals at high genetic risk are more sensitive to social genetic effects. Alternative hypotheses such as sociodemographic stratification, exposure to affected peers, and genetic predispositions for educational attainment did not explain the risk associated with peer social genetic effects for substance use and psychiatric disorders.</p>}},
  author       = {{Salvatore, Jessica E. and Ohlsson, Henrik and Sundquist, Jan and Sundquist, Kristina and Kendler, Kenneth S.}},
  issn         = {{1535-7228}},
  keywords     = {{Adolescence; Anxiety Disorder; Family Genetic Risk Score; Major Depression; Peer Social Genetic Effects; Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{824--833}},
  publisher    = {{American Psychiatric Association}},
  series       = {{The American journal of psychiatry}},
  title        = {{Peer Social Genetic Effects and the Etiology of Substance Use Disorders, Major Depression, and Anxiety Disorder in a Swedish National Sample}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.20230358}},
  doi          = {{10.1176/appi.ajp.20230358}},
  volume       = {{181}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}