Environmental stress, oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphism, and mental health following collective stress

Rachel G Lucas-Thompson,E Alison Holman

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.02.015

Abstract

We examined whether the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs53576 genotype buffers the combined impact of negative social environments (e.g., interpersonal conflict/constraint) and economic stress on post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and impaired daily functioning following collective stress (September 11th terrorist attacks). Saliva was collected by mail and used to genotype 704 respondents. Participants completed Web-based assessments of pre-9/11 mental health, acute stress 9–23days after 9/11, the quality of social environments 1year post-9/11, economic stress 18months post-9/11, and PTS symptoms and impaired functioning 2 and 3years post-9/11. Interactions between negative social environments and economic stress were examined separately based on OXTR rs53576 genotype (GG vs. any A allele). For individuals with an A allele, a negative social environment significantly increased PTS symptoms without regard to the level of economic stress experienced. However, for respondents with a GG genotype, negative social environments predicted elevated PTS symptoms only for those also experiencing high economic stress. Gender moderated associations between negative social environments, economic stress, and impaired functioning. The functioning of females was most affected by negative social environments regardless of genotype and economic stress, whereas the functioning of males was differentially susceptible to economic stress depending on OXTR genotype and negative social environments. These findings suggest that it is important to consider the combined impact of gender and ongoing stress in different domains as moderators of genetic vulnerability following collective stress.

Highlights

It has long been recognized that the quality of one's social environment predicts myriad mental and physical health outcomes, especially in the context of coping with stressful life events (SLE)
Given the documented gender differences in rates of post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms/disorders (Creamer et al, 2001; Kessler et al, 1995; Stein et al, 1997), as well as evidence that the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) system evolved to affect males and females differently (Taylor, 2006), we examined whether associations between negative social environments, economic stress, and the outcomes of interest were moderated by participant gender
Income was related to the primary variables of interest, with negative social environments, economic stress, mental disorders, and impaired functioning being less evident in participants with more income

Summary

Introduction

It has long been recognized that the quality of one's social environment predicts myriad mental and physical health outcomes, especially in the context of coping with stressful life events (SLE). Attention has turned to improving our understanding of the role individual differences play in our sensitivity to social environments. Toward this end, the oxytocin system (OXT) has garnered theoretical and empirical attention as an evolutionarily-conserved moderator of mammalian social behaviors that comprise the caregiving behavioral system (Heinrichs and Domes, 2008; Heinrichs et al, 2009; MacKinnon and Luecken, 2008). The relationship between OXTR SNP genotypes and OXT function in humans is not fully understood (e.g., Riem et al, 2011), OXTR SNPs have been associated with individual differences in social-cognitive, socio-emotional, and mental health outcomes (Chen et al, 2011; Meyer-Lindenberg et al, 2011; Rodrigues et al, 2009; Tost et al, 2010). The rs53576 A allele has been associated with severe

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion