Associations between stress and depression symptom profiles vary according to serotonin transporter polymorphism in rural Australians

Abstract

Purpose

Depression remains difficult to treat in all cases, and further investigation of the role of genetic and environmental factors may be valuable. This study was designed to investigate the association between the short (s) versus non-short (non-s) 5HTTLPR variants, presence of childhood stressors and recent life stressors, and depression, and to do so at two levels that would expose the associations between total depression scores and also individual depression items.

Materials and methods

Two hundred and forty-nine volunteers from one of the Australian Electoral Office electorates covering a large rural land area completed a series of questionnaires about childhood and recent life stress and depression, and provided a buccal cell sample for genotyping the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism into s versus non-s carriers.

Results

Although there were no significant differences in the depression scores of the s-carriers versus the non-s carriers, each subtype of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism showed different patterns of association between childhood stress and depression symptoms, and between recent life stress and depression symptoms.

Conclusion

Individualization of therapy for depression may be achieved through consideration of the specific associations that patients exhibit between life stress, 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, and depression symptomatology.

Keywords:

• genes
• mental health
• life experiences

Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to all the participants who took part in this study.

Author contributions

All Authors contributed toward data analysis, drafting and revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.