Development of depression: sex and the interaction between environment and a promoter polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene
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Previous research has demonstrated that a polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and adverse psychosocial circumstances interact to predict depression. The purpose of the present study was to explore the extent to which sex modulates these effects. Eighty-one boys and 119 girls (16-19 years old) were interviewed about psychosocial background variables and genotyped for the 5-HTT promoter polymorphism. There were two main results. First, boys and girls carrying the short 5-HTTLPR allele react to different kinds of environmental factors. Whereas males were affected by living in public housing rather than in own owned homes and by living with separated parents, females were affected by traumatic conflicts within the family. Second, the responses of males and females carrying the short 5-HTTLPR allele to environmental stress factors go in opposite directions. Thus, whereas females tend to develop depressive symptoms, males seem to be protected from depression. The results suggest that both the molecular and the psychosocial mechanisms underlying depression may differ between boys and girls.
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Evidence from studies reviewed here supports the existence of differences in the impact of type of early life stress, and these effects may be gender-specific.
“Evidence from studies reviewed here supports the existence of differences in the impact of type of ELS, and these effects may be gender-specific (Cicchetti et al. 2007; Heim et al. 2009; Sjoberg et al. 2006).”
From Gene–environment interactions: early life stress and risk for depressive and anxiety disorders (2011) · cites this paper as Sjoberg et al. 2006
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- Authors
- Sjöberg, R. L., Nilsson, K. W., Nordquist, N., Öhrvik, J., Leppert, J., Lindström, L., & Oreland, L.
- Affiliations
- Uppsala University (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Sjöberg, Rickard L.
- Venue
- The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2005-09-15
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 04
- Pages
- 443
- ISSN
- 1461-1457 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-5111
- OpenAlex
- W2138962612
- Cited by
- 251
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 6.77
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Uppsala Universitet
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- depression, sex differences, serotonin transporter gene, 5-HTTLPR, promoter polymorphism, gene-environment interaction, psychosocial environment, adolescent depression, public housing, parental separation, family conflict, genetic susceptibility
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Depressive Disorder, Major, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Genotype, Humans, Male, Polymorphism, Genetic, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Sex Characteristics, Social Environment, Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
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