Maternal rearing styles and loneliness: The moderating role of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism

Abstract

Loneliness is a common problem in adulthood, with deleterious effects on mental health. In the present study, we examined whether the effects of maternal rearing styles on loneliness are moderated by the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism and whether loneliness can further affect mental health as a mediator in 1034 genotyped participants. The results showed that the COMT genotype significantly moderated the relationship between maternal rejection and loneliness; more specifically, Val carriers who perceived higher levels of rejection from their mothers demonstrated higher levels of loneliness. The moderated mediation model revealed that loneliness meditated the indirect effects of maternal rejection on life satisfaction. Specifically, for individuals with the Val/Val genotype, higher rejection from their mothers had a greater influence on their life satisfaction through loneliness. In addition, we found that the effect of COMT Val158Met maternal rejection on loneliness and the effect of maternal rejection on Val/Val adults’ life satisfaction via loneliness existed across different age groups. These findings provide a new understanding of the gene–parenting interaction effect on loneliness and its influence on mental health.