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A Polygenic Approach to Understanding Resilience to Peer Victimisation
Jessica M Armitage1,2, R Adele H Wang3, Oliver S P Davis4,5,6,7
1School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TU, UK. jessica.armitage@bristol.ac.uk.
Behavior Genetics
|October 12, 2021
Summary
Genetic factors do not appear to explain why some individuals experience poor mental health after peer victimization. Current polygenic scores cannot identify those vulnerable to peer victimization
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Genetics
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Adversity increases depression risk, potentially moderated by genetic liability.
- Peer victimization is linked to mental illness, but its genetic underpinnings are unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if genetic factors, using polygenic scores, moderate the relationship between peer victimization and mental health outcomes.
- To determine if genetic liability influences vulnerability to negative mental health effects following peer victimization.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).
- Employed polygenic scores for depression and wellbeing to assess genetic liability.
- Analyzed interaction effects between polygenic scores and peer victimization on depressive symptoms and wellbeing in early adulthood.
Main Results:
- Polygenic scores and peer victimization independently predicted depressive symptoms and wellbeing.
- No significant interaction effect was found, indicating genetic factors do not moderate the impact of peer victimization.
- Current polygenic scores are ineffective in identifying individuals more vulnerable to peer victimization's adverse effects.
Conclusions:
- The negative mental health outcomes following peer victimization are unlikely to be explained by a moderating effect of current genetic factors.
- Further research is needed to understand resilience and vulnerability to mental health problems after peer victimization.
- Genetic profiling is not currently a viable tool for identifying individuals at higher risk for adverse mental health outcomes due to peer victimization.
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