Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2025

Rapid Fractionation and Isolation of Whole Blood Components in Samples Obtained from a Community-based Setting
Published on: November 30, 2015
Polygenic risk for epigenetic aging and adverse life experiences interact to predict growth in adolescent depression
Kit K Elam1, Jinni Su2, Weisiyu Abraham Qin1
1Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States.
Introduction:
Research has yet to examine the interplay between indices of environmental risk and resilience processes and genetic predisposition for epigenetic aging in predicting early adolescent depressive symptoms. In the current study we examine whether adverse life events and parental acceptance moderate polygenic predisposition for GrimAge epigenetic aging in predicting trajectories of depressive symptoms across early adolescence.
Method:
Using data from the Adolescent Brain Development Study (ABCD, N = 11,875), we created polygenic scores for GrimAge, and examined whether exposure to adverse life events and parental acceptance moderated the relation between genetic risk and depressive symptom trajectories from age 10/11 to 12/13 using growth mixture modelling. We examined models separately in European American (EA), African American (AA), and Latinx (LX) subgroups of ABCD.
Results:
In the EA and AA subgroups, adverse life events moderated polygenic scores for GrimAge such that there was increased likelihood of membership in a higher vs. lower depression trajectory.
Discussion:
We extend literature by identifying genetic contributions to epigenetic aging as a depression diathesis in adolescence. Findings also highlight the detrimental role of adverse life events in exacerbating genetic risk for the development of depression in adolescence.
Related Concept Videos
Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Gene-Environment Interactions
Epigenetic Regulation
Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...

