Socioeconomic advantage as protection from genetic mental health risks

The burden of mental illness is unequally distributed, with higher prevalence among socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals and those with a genetic predisposition to mental illness. Using data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we examine whether childhood socioeconomic status (SES) moderates the association between genetic predisposition - measured using polygenic indices (PGIs) - and adult mental health. We document a childhood SES gradient in the association between genetic risk and anxiety, but not depression. Specifically, individuals who report having been financially well-off during childhood or whose fathers held relatively higher prestige occupations exhibit a substantially weaker association between the anxiety PGI and anxiety symptoms in adulthood. This pattern is not explained by differences in parenting style, parent-child relationship quality, or exposure to childhood stressors and traumas. These findings contribute to the literature on gene-environment interplay by documenting heterogeneity in the association between genetic predisposition and mental health outcomes across socioeconomic contexts. To the extent that financial resources moderate the association between genetic risk and anxiety, early-life economic conditions may be associated with differences in the manifestation of genetic predispositions, with implications for understanding inequalities in mental health.