Abstract
Retrospective self-reports of childhood trauma are associated with a greater risk of psychopathology in adulthood than prospective measures of trauma. Heritable reporter characteristics are anticipated to account for part of this association, whereby genetic predisposition to certain traits influences both the likelihood of self-reporting trauma and of developing psychopathology. However, previous research has not considered how gene-environment correlation influences these associations. To investigate reporter characteristics associated with retrospective self-reports of childhood trauma and whether these associations are accounted for by gene-environment correlation. In 3963 unrelated individuals from the Twins Early Development Study, we tested whether polygenic scores for 21 psychiatric, cognitive, anthropometric and personality traits were associated with retrospectively self-reported childhood emotional and physical abuse. To assess the presence of gene-environment correlation, we investigated whether these associations remained after controlling for composite scores of environmental adversity across development. Retrospectively self-reported childhood trauma was associated with polygenic scores for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), body mass index (BMI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and risky behaviours. When composite scores of environmental adversity were controlled for, only associations with the polygenic scores for ASD and PTSD remained significant. Genetic predisposition to ASD and PTSD may increase liability to experiencing or interpreting events as traumatic. Associations between genetic predisposition for risky behaviour and BMI with self-reported childhood trauma may reflect gene-environment correlation. Studies of the association between retrospectively self-reported childhood trauma and later-life outcomes should consider that genetically influenced reporter characteristics may confound associations, both directly and through gene-environment correlation.
Highlights
Retrospective self-reports of childhood trauma are associated with a greater risk of psychopathology in adulthood than prospective measures of trauma
Retrospectively self-reported childhood trauma was associated with polygenic scores for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), body mass index (BMI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and risky behaviours
In univariable linear regression models, polygenic scores for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, ASD, body mass index (BMI), irritability, major depressive disorder, mood swings, neuroticism, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), risky behaviours and schizophrenia were positively associated with retrospectively self-reported childhood trauma after false discovery rate (FDR) correction for multiple testing
Summary
Retrospective self-reports of childhood trauma are associated with a greater risk of psychopathology in adulthood than prospective measures of trauma. Evidence suggests that retrospective self-reports are partly under genetic influence.[3,4] reporter characteristics including personality traits, psychopathology and cognitive biases have been found to have a heritable component.[5,6,7] As such, the heritability of reporter characteristics could, in part, explain the genetic component identified for retrospectively reported trauma.[8,9] In a recent study of female nurses, polygenic scores representing individual genetic liability for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depression, neuroticism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were all associated with a higher likelihood of reporting childhood abuse in mid-life.[10] These findings suggest that associations between retrospectively self-reported childhood trauma and later psychopathology are partly confounded by genetic predisposition to these outcomes, which influence both the likelihood of reporting traumatic events and of developing a disorder These methods do not take into account the effect of environmental risk. This process, termed gene–environment correlation (rGE), occurs when genetic factors influence both an individual’s liability for a trait and the environments that they are exposed to.[11]
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