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O'Gorman ET, Meyer GJ. Developmental cascades from early childhood attachment security to adolescent level of personality functioning among high-risk youth. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-14. [PMID: 38934483 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424001044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
This study examines associations between early childhood attachment security and adolescent personality functioning in a high-risk sample within a developmental psychopathology framework. Data from 2,268 children (1165 male; 1103 female) and caregivers participating in Future of Families and Child Well-Being Study (FFCWS) were used to examine (1) effects of genetic polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) genes and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on attachment security and emotional and behavioral dysregulation in early childhood and (2) longitudinal associations and transactional relationships among attachment security, dysregulation, negative parenting attitudes and behaviors, social competence, and adolescent personality functioning. Results revealed that ACEs predicted attachment security over and above sex or the genetic risk, and gene × environment interactions did not increment prediction. Results of cascade models showed that greater early childhood attachment security predicted higher adolescent level of personality functioning via pathways through intermediary variables. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily T O'Gorman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gregory J Meyer
- Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
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Fonagy P, Luyten P, Allison E, Campbell C. Taking stock to move forward: Where the field of developmental psychopathology might be heading. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38389294 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
In this paper, dedicated to Dante Cicchetti's contributions and enduring influence, we explore the prospective directions of developmental psychopathology. Our focus centers on key domains where Cicchetti's significant achievements have continually shaped our evolving thinking about psychological development. These domains include (a) the concepts of equifinality and multifinality, along with the challenges in predicting developmental trajectories, (b) the imperative to integrate wider sociocultural viewpoints into developmental psychopathology frameworks, (c) the interplay of genetic and environmental influences in developmental courses, (d) the significance of mental state language, and (e) the progress, or its absence, in the development of prevention and intervention tactics for children, adolescents, and their caregivers. While many of our forecasts regarding the future of developmental psychopathology may not materialize, we maintain optimistic that the essential ideas presented will influence the research agenda in this field and contribute to its growth over the next fifty years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Fonagy
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Patrick Luyten
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elizabeth Allison
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Chloe Campbell
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
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MacBeth A, Christie H, Golds L, Morales F, Raouna A, Sawrikar V, Gillespie-Smith K. Thinking about the next generation: The case for a mentalization-informed approach to perinatal and intergenerational mental health. Psychol Psychother 2023. [PMID: 37534856 DOI: 10.1111/papt.12483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There has been substantial progress made across multiple disciplines to emphasize the importance of perinatal mental health both for parents and offspring. This focuses on what has been termed the 'First 1000 Days' from conception to the child's second birthday. We argue that our understanding of this issue can go further to create an intergenerational approach to mental health. Despite the existence of theoretical frameworks and practical approaches to implementation, there are gaps in the understanding of perinatal and intergenerational mental health including which psychological mechanisms are implicated in the transmission of risk and resilience within the perinatal period; and how to leverage these into treatment approaches. AIMS AND METHODS In this paper, we explore the potential for mentalization as a candidate psychological approach to intergenerational mental health. RESULTS We contextualize this issue in terms of the points of contact between mentalization and broader theoretical models such as the social determinants of health and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DoHaD) model. Further, we provide an overview of the existing evidence base for the relevance of mentalization to perinatal mental health. DISCUSSION Finally, we sketch out an outline model for integrating mentalization into perinatal and intergenerational mental health, highlighting several areas of opportunity to develop research and practice from diverse geographies and demographics. Here, we suggest that integration of mentalization with other conceptual frameworks such as DoHaD can mutually enrich the understanding of each model, pointing the way towards more effective early and preventative interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angus MacBeth
- School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Hope Christie
- School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lisa Golds
- School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Francisca Morales
- School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Aigli Raouna
- School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Vilas Sawrikar
- School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Shah S, Laplante D, Atkinson L, Wazana A. From temperament and parenting to attachment: a review of the interplay of gene and environment factors in the developmental pathway to attachment. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2022; 35:401-408. [PMID: 35959551 DOI: 10.1097/yco.0000000000000817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Attachment represents an aspect of the parent-child relationship by encapsulating behaviours and stress management strategies. Although attachment is not considered a measure of psychopathology, some attachment styles place children at higher risk for psychopathologies. The origins of attachment have historically thought to be either parenting-related variables, or temperament. More recently, there has been accumulated evidence of gene × environment interactions in attachment, temperament, and parenting. This review aims to cover shared gene × environment pathways between these variables, introduce recent relevant insights from prenatal programming research, and offer a synthesized developmental cascade model of attachment. RECENT FINDINGS Carriers of gene polymorphisms related to stress neurobiology respond differently to environments than noncarriers according to two patterns: attachment research shows inconsistent diathesis-stress between gene polymorphisms and environment, and temperament, stress physiology, and prenatal programming research show clear patterns of differential susceptibility. SUMMARY By synthesizing prenatal and postnatal findings, a model of attachment emerges in which individuals more susceptible to environmental influences are carriers of specific genes, whose endophenotypic markers include stress biology and phenotypic markers include temperament. Intervention should, therefore, focus on parenting and stress regulation strategies for these individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalaka Shah
- Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, and McGill University
| | - David Laplante
- Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research
| | | | - Ashley Wazana
- Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, and McGill University
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Zimmermann P, Spangler G. Longitudinal Influences of DRD4 Polymorphism and Early Maternal Caregiving on Personality Development and Problem Behavior in Middle Childhood and Adolescence. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:839340. [PMID: 35496066 PMCID: PMC9048738 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.839340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most studies examining gene-environment effects on self-regulation focus on outcomes early childhood or adulthood. However, only a few studies investigate longitudinal effects during middle childhood and adolescence and compare two domains of early caregiving. In a longitudinal follow-up with a sample of N = 87, we studied the effects of differences in the DRD4 tandem repeat polymorphisms and two domains of early maternal caregiving quality on children’s personality development using Block’s California Child Q-Set (CCQ) at age six and age 12 and on problem behavior at ages six and seven. Early maternal regulation quality predicted later ego-resiliency and aggressiveness. In addition, significant gene-environment interactions revealed that children with the 7+ DRD4 tandem repeat polymorphism and poor maternal regulation quality in infancy showed lower scores in ego-resiliency and higher scores in ego-undercontrol and CCQ aggressiveness. In contrast, children who had experienced effective maternal regulation in infancy showed a comparable level in personality traits and problem behavior as the DRD4 7- group independent of the levels of maternal regulatory behavior. Similarly, longitudinal caregiving × DRD4 interactions were found for behavior problems in middle childhood, especially for oppositional-aggression, inattentive-hyperactivity, and social competence. Early caregiving effects were only found for maternal regulation quality, but not for maternal responsiveness. Effective early maternal regulation in infancy can moderate the negative effect of DRD4 7+ on children’s self-regulation in middle childhood and adolescence. However, maternal responsiveness has no comparable effects. It seems relevant to consider several dimensions of early caregiving and to also measure the environment in more detail in gene-environment studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Zimmermann
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
- *Correspondence: Peter Zimmermann
| | - Gottfried Spangler
- Institute of Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Evans CL, Sawyer KS, Levy SA, Conklin JP, McDonough E, Gansler DA. Factors in the neurodevelopment of negative urgency: Findings from a community-dwelling sample. Brain Neurosci Adv 2022; 6:23982128221079548. [PMID: 35237725 PMCID: PMC8882942 DOI: 10.1177/23982128221079548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated neuroanatomic, genetic, cognitive, sociodemographic and
emotional underpinnings of the Negative Urgency subscale of the Urgency,
Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation-Seeking and Positive Urgency Impulsive
Behavior Scale in a healthy developmental sample. The goal of the investigation
is to contribute to the harmonisation of behavioural, brain and neurogenetic
aspects of behavioural self-control. Three domains – (1) Demographic,
developmental, psychiatric and cognitive ability; (2) Regional brain volumes
(neurobiological); and (3) Genetic variability (single nucleotide polymorphisms)
– were examined, and models with relevant predictor variables were selected.
Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and best subset regressions were
used to identify sparse models predicting negative urgency scores, which
revealed that variables related to emotional regulation and right cingulate
volume, as well as single nucleotide polymorphisms in CADM2 and
SLC6A4, were associated with negative urgency. Our results
contribute to the construct and criterion validity of negative urgency and
support the hypothesis that negative urgency is a result of a complex array of
influences across domains whose integration furthers developmental
psychopathology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey L. Evans
- Department of Psychology, Suffolk University, Boston, MA, USA
- Psychology Assessment Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kayle S. Sawyer
- Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Sawyer Scientific, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah A. Levy
- Department of Psychology, Suffolk University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - EmilyKate McDonough
- Department of Medical Education, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Cahill S, Chandola T, Hager R. Genetic Variants Associated With Resilience in Human and Animal Studies. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:840120. [PMID: 35669264 PMCID: PMC9163442 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.840120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Resilience is broadly defined as the ability to maintain or regain functioning in the face of adversity and is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. The identification of specific genetic factors and their biological pathways underpinning resilient functioning can help in the identification of common key factors, but heterogeneities in the operationalisation of resilience have hampered advances. We conducted a systematic review of genetic variants associated with resilience to enable the identification of general resilience mechanisms. We adopted broad inclusion criteria for the definition of resilience to capture both human and animal model studies, which use a wide range of resilience definitions and measure very different outcomes. Analyzing 158 studies, we found 71 candidate genes associated with resilience. OPRM1 (Opioid receptor mu 1), NPY (neuropeptide Y), CACNA1C (calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 C), DCC (deleted in colorectal carcinoma), and FKBP5 (FKBP prolyl isomerase 5) had both animal and human variants associated with resilience, supporting the idea of shared biological pathways. Further, for OPRM1, OXTR (oxytocin receptor), CRHR1 (corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1), COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase), BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), APOE (apolipoprotein E), and SLC6A4 (solute carrier family 6 member 4), the same allele was associated with resilience across divergent resilience definitions, which suggests these genes may therefore provide a starting point for further research examining commonality in resilience pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Cahill
- Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Faculty of Humanities, Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Tarani Chandola
- Faculty of Humanities, Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Methods Hub, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Reinmar Hager
- Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Potter-Dickey A, Letourneau N, Silveira PP, Ntanda H, Giesbrecht GF, Hart M, Dewell S, de Koning APJ. Associations Among Parental Caregiving Quality, Cannabinoid Receptor 1 Expression-Based Polygenic Scores, and Infant-Parent Attachment: Evidence for Differential Genetic Susceptibility? Front Neurosci 2021; 15:704392. [PMID: 34385904 PMCID: PMC8353245 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.704392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Attachment is a biological evolutionary system contributing to infant survival. When primary caregivers/parents are sensitive and responsive to their infants’ needs, infants develop a sense of security. Secure infant attachment has been linked to healthy brain and organ-system development. Belsky and colleagues proposed the term differential susceptibility to describe context-dependent associations between genetic variations and behavioral outcomes as a function of parenting environments. Variations in the Cannabinoid Receptor Gene 1 (CNR1) are associated with memory, mood, and reward and connote differential susceptibility to more and less optimal parental caregiving quality in predicting children’s behavioral problems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole Letourneau
- Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Child Development Centre, Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Patricia P Silveira
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Henry Ntanda
- Owerko Centre, Child Development Centre, Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Gerald F Giesbrecht
- Owerko Centre, Child Development Centre, Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Martha Hart
- Owerko Centre, Child Development Centre, Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Sarah Dewell
- Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,School of Nursing, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada
| | - A P Jason de Koning
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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DAT1 and Its Psychological Correlates in Children with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study. Behav Sci (Basel) 2021; 11:bs11010009. [PMID: 33466618 PMCID: PMC7828669 DOI: 10.3390/bs11010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
International research has underlined the role played by children’s and maternal psychopathological symptoms on the onset of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in early childhood. No study has considered the possible interplay between children’s dopamine transporter (DAT1) genotype and methylation, dysregulation problems and maternal psychopathological risk. This study aimed to investigate the complex relationship between these variables, considering the possible mediation role played by children’s DAT1 methylation on the relationship between mothers’ psychopathological risk and children’s dysregulation problems, moderated by children’s DAT1 genotype. Our sample consisted of 94 early children and their mothers, divided into four subgroups, based on children’s ARFID subtypes (irritable/impulsive (I/I), sensory food aversions (SFA), post-traumatic feeding disorders subtypes (PTFD), and a non-clinical group (NC)). We addressed children’s dysregulation problems and maternal psychopathological risk, and collected children’s DNA through buccal swabs. Results showed that children’s 9/x genotype was associated with PTFD and NC groups, whereas the 10/10 genotype was associated with the SFA group, with large effect size. There were significant large differences in the study groups on children’s DAT1 total methylation, children’s dysregulation problems, and maternal psychopathological risk. Children’s DAT1 methylation did not mediate the relationship between mother’s psychopathological risk and children’s dysregulation problems, but there was a significant large direct effect. Children’s 9/x genotype moderated the relationship between maternal psychopathological risk and children’s DAT1 methylation but, respectively, with a large and small effect. Our pilot study suggested that the relationship between children’s DAT1 genotype and methylation, dysregulation problems, and maternal psychopathological risk has a crucial contribution to ARFID.
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Somers JA, Luecken LJ. Socioemotional Mechanisms of Children's Differential Response to the Effects of Maternal Sensitivity on Child Adjustment. PARENTING, SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020; 21:241-275. [PMID: 34483750 PMCID: PMC8411900 DOI: 10.1080/15295192.2020.1809955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Children differ in the extent to which they reap the benefits of maternal sensitive care or suffer the adverse consequences of insensitive care, and these differences can be accounted for by biological characteristics. However, how susceptible children adapt to maternal sensitivity in ways that either maximize positive development or lead to maladjustment has yet to be determined. Here, we propose a novel model of socioemotional mechanisms by which the joint influences of maternal sensitivity and child biological characteristics influence child adjustment. DESIGN We propose a theoretical model, in which children's vagal functioning and polymorphisms in serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) genes confer susceptibility to the effects of maternal sensitivity on internalizing, externalizing, prosocial and moral behavior via changes in interpersonal strategies for emotion regulation, the threat response system, and empathy. RESULTS Theoretical and empirical support for the proposed mechanisms are provided. CONCLUSIONS The proposed mechanistic model of susceptibility to maternal sensitivity offers a novel framework of for whom and how children are affected by early maternal care, highlighting multiple reciprocal, interacting influences across genes, physiology, behavior, and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Somers
- Arizona State University, Department of Psychology, PO Box 871104, Tempe, AZ 85287
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