Genetic and environmental risk structure of internalizing psychopathology in youth

Maternal Error-Related Negativity Relationship With Offspring Error-Related Negativity and Negative Parenting Styles: A Novel Model of Internalizing Psychopathology Risk

BACKGROUND

Enhanced error-related negativity (ERN), an event-related potential component reflecting neural sensitivity to errors and threat, has been theorized to represent an endophenotype of internalizing psychopathologies (IPs). We tested whether intergenerational transmission of ERN patterns may confer risk for internalizing symptoms. We examined associations among maternal and offspring ERN and offspring internalizing symptoms. Given the role of parenting in IP risk, we also explored how maternal negative parenting styles related to maternal ERN and offspring internalizing symptoms.

METHODS

Participants included 117 biological mother-child dyads (ages 9-16 years, 70.9% female). Of these, 72 mothers had a history of major depression (32 with lifetime anxiety), and 45 had no history of psychiatric illness. Dyads completed psychiatric interviews, parenting questionnaires, and a flanker task to elicit the ERN while an electroencephalogram was recorded.

RESULTS

Path analyses revealed that maternal ERN was significantly associated with enhanced offspring ERN and greater negative parenting styles. Enhanced offspring ERN and maternal negative parenting styles were significantly related to greater internalizing symptoms in offspring. Maternal ERN had a significant indirect effect on offspring internalizing symptoms through offspring ERN and maternal negative parenting styles, above the effects of self-reported maternal internalizing symptoms. Maternal IP history did not moderate pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

Study findings suggest that enhanced maternal ERN is indirectly associated with greater offspring internalizing symptoms through its relationship to offspring ERN and negative parenting styles. Future longitudinal work is needed to evaluate the temporal timing and directionality of these tested pathways and their clinical implications for the prevention of IPs.

Psychological and social risk factors associated with development of psychopathology, controlling for biological influence

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To evaluate and summarize recent research investigating psychological, social and environmental risk factors for development of psychopathology in childhood, while controlling for biological (genetic) influences by using a matched sibling, twin or adoptee design.

RECENT FINDINGS

Nineteen studies were included, of which eleven were longitudinal and eight were cohort studies. Included studies used adequate designs and statistical methods, controlled for unmeasured confounders and, in many cases, for other measured risk factors. None of the studies used the framework for environmental factors presented in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The outcome variable psychopathology was rarely assessed using a diagnostic standard. The findings were sorted in five themes based on included exposures: 'Social support, social rejection and perceived identity,' 'Early symptoms of psychopathology,' 'Antibiotic exposure,' 'Factors in the family' and 'Nature versus nurture'.

SUMMARY

Using twin/sibling/adoptee designs, a number of unique predictors of psychopathology were found, even when controlling for familial confounders and other specified risk factors. Future studies of psychopathology development should benefit from longitudinal, genetically sensitive designs and from use of diagnostic standards for psychopathology outcome, and should also incorporate ICF for classification of risk factors.