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Cited by 40Health disparities and outcomesGenetic Associations and EpidemiologyUrban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies

Neighborhood deprivation and depression in adult twins: genetics and gene×environment interaction

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Strachan, E., Duncan, G., Horn, E., Turkheimer, E.·2017·Psychological Medicine
DOI 10.1017/s0033291716002622PMC PMC5303704
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Abstract

Background: Depression is a significant problem and it is vital to understand its underlying causes and related policy implications. Neighborhood characteristics are implicated in depression but the nature of this association is unclear. Unobserved or unmeasured factors may confound the relationship. This study addresses confounding in a twin study investigating neighborhood-level effects on depression controlling for genetics, common environment, and gene×environment (G × E) interactions. Method: Data on neighborhood deprivation and depression were gathered from 3155 monozygotic twin pairs and 1275 dizygotic pairs (65.7% female) between 2006 and 2013. The variance for both depression and neighborhood deprivation was decomposed into three components: additive genetic variance (A); shared environmental variance (C); and non-shared environmental variance (E). Depression was then regressed on neighborhood deprivation to test the direct association and whether that association was confounded. We also tested for a G × E interaction in which the heritability of depression was modified by the level of neighborhood deprivation. Results: Depression and neighborhood deprivation showed evidence of significant A (21.8% and 15.9%, respectively) and C (13.9% and 32.7%, respectively) variance. Depression increased with increasing neighborhood deprivation across all twins (p= 0.009), but this regression was not significant after controlling for A and C variance common to both phenotypes (p= 0.615). The G × E model showed genetic influences on depression increasing with increasing neighborhood deprivation (p< 0.001). Conclusions: Neighborhood deprivation is an important contributor to depression via increasing the genetic risk. Modifiable pathways that link neighborhoods to depression have been proposed and should serve as targets for intervention and research.

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  • Several prior twin studies show evidence of increased sensitivity to the depressogenic effects of environmental exposures in those with high genetic risk.

    “several prior twin studies, assessing a range of environmental adversities, show evidence of increased sensitivity to the depressogenic effects of these environmental exposures in those with high genetic risk”

    From The development of an environmental risk score using Swedish National Registers and its impact on subsequent episodes of major depression (2025) · cites this paper as Strachan, Duncan, Horn, & Turkheimer, 2017

    The Results (G × E interaction; page unavailable) report that genetic variance in depressive symptoms increased with neighborhood deprivation, supporting the claim's genetic-sensitivity point for one exposure. This paper is one twin study, not evidence that several prior twin studies assessed a range of adversities. The Discussion also says it found no direct effect of neighborhood deprivation on depressive symptoms after accounting for familial factors, so a depressogenic effect of the exposure is not established. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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Authors
Strachan, E., Duncan, G., Horn, E., & Turkheimer, E.
Affiliations
  • University of Washington (US)
  • Washington State University Spokane (US)
  • University of Virginia (US)
Corresponding author
Strachan, E.
ORCID
Venue
Psychological Medicine
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2016-11-09
Volume
47
Issue
4
Pages
627-638
ISSN
  • 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-8978
DOI
10.1017/s0033291716002622
PMC
PMC5303704
OpenAlex
W2550817000
Cited by
40
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4
FWCI
6.17
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified)
Locations
  • Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Washington State University
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Aging (R01AG042176)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (RC2HL103416)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies
Keywords
neighborhood disadvantage, depression, heritability, shared environment, nonshared environment, monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, confounding, neighborhood effects, adult twins
MeSH terms
Adult, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychosocial Deprivation, Registries, Residence Characteristics, Socioeconomic Factors, Young Adult, Gene-Environment Interaction

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