Polygenic risk for depression predicting temperament trajectories over 15 years - A general population study

Veikka Lavonius; Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen; Binisha Hamal Mishra; Elina Sormunen; Mika Kähönen; Olli Raitakari; Jarmo Hietala; C Robert Cloninger; Terho Lehtimäki; Aino Saarinen

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.093

Polygenic risk for depression predicting temperament trajectories over 15 years - A general population study

J Affect Disord. 2024 Apr 1:350:388-395. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.093. Epub 2024 Jan 11.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
² Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories, Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center, Tampere, Finland; Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
³ Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
⁴ Department of Clinical Physiology, Tampere University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
⁵ Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Finland.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St. Louis, United States.
⁷ Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: aino.i.saarinen@helsinki.fi.

PMID: 38218259
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.093

Abstract

Background: A great number of case-control and population-based studies have shown that depression patients differ from healthy controls in their temperament traits. We investigated whether polygenic risk for depression predicts trajectories of temperament traits from early adulthood to middle age.

Methods: Participants came from the population-based Young Finns Study (n = 2212). The calculation for Polygenic risk for depression (PRS) was based on the most recent genome-wide association study. Temperament traits of Harm Avoidance, Novelty Seeking, Reward Dependence, and Persistence were assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory in 1997, 2001, 2007, and 2012 (participants being 24-50-year-olds). As covariates, we used depressive symptoms as assessed by a modified version of the Beck Depression Inventory, psychosocial family environment from parent-filled questionnaires, and socioeconomic factors from adulthood.

Results: High PRS predicted higher Persistence from early adulthood to middle age (p = 0.003) when controlling for depressive symptoms, psychosocial family environment, and socioeconomic factors. PRS did not predict trajectories of Novelty Seeking (p = 0.063-0.416 in different models) or Reward Dependence (p = 0.531-0.736). The results remained unaffected when participants with diagnosed affective disorders were excluded. Additionally, we found an interaction between PRS and depressive symptoms when predicting the Harm Avoidance subscale Anticipatory Worry, indicating that the association of Anticipatory Worry with depressive symptoms is stronger in individuals with higher (vs. lower) PRS.

Limitations: There was some attrition due to the long follow-up.

Conclusions: High polygenic risk for major depression may predict differences in temperament trajectories among those who have not developed any severe affective disorders.

Keywords: Depressive symptoms; Longitudinal study; Persistence; Polygenic risk score; TCI; Temperament.

MeSH terms

Adult
Character
Depression / diagnosis
Depression / epidemiology
Depression / genetics
Depressive Disorder, Major* / psychology
Genome-Wide Association Study
Humans
Middle Aged
Personality Inventory
Temperament*