The Effects of Childhood Maltreatment on Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Male Adolescents: The Moderating Roles of the Monoamine Oxidase A (MAOA) Gene and the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) Gene

Yemiao Gao,Yuke Xiong,Hui Wang,Xia Liu

doi:10.3390/ijerph18052598

Abstract

(1) Background: Numerous studies suggest strong associations between childhood maltreatment and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI); this is also true for the roles of dopaminergic genes in the etiology of some psychopathologies related to NSSI. Investigating the interactions of environments and genes is important in order to better understand the etiology of NSSI. (2) Methods: Within a sample of 269 Chinese male adolescents (Mage = 14.72, SD = 0.92), childhood maltreatment and NSSI were evaluated, and saliva samples were collected for MAOA T941G and COMT Val158Met polymorphism analyses. (3) Results: The results revealed no primary effects attributable to MAOA T941G and COMT Val158Met polymorphism on NSSI. However, there was a significant three-way interaction between MAOA, COMT, and child abuse (β = −0.34, p < 0.01) in adolescent NSSI. Except for carriers of the T allele of MAOA and the Met allele of COMT, all studied male adolescents displayed higher NSSI scores when exposed to a higher level of child abuse. A similar three-way interaction was not observed in the case of child neglect. (4) Conclusions: The results indicate that the MAOA gene and COMT gene play moderating roles in the association between child abuse and NSSI of male adolescents and suggest the polygenic underpinnings of NSSI.

Highlights

Nonsuicidal self-injurious (NSSI) behavior—defined as “the direct, deliberate destruction of one’s body tissue in the absence of intent to die” [1]—is a significant mental health concern
A burgeoning body of research has examined the etiology of various kinds of psychiatric disorders through the perspective of gene–environment interactions [8,9]; limited research on nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) from this perspective limits the understanding of the development of this behavior
Our findings suggested that neither monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) T941G nor COMT Val158Met polymorphism had a direct impact on NSSI; a significant three-way interaction effect was found among MAOA, COMT, and child abuse in relation to NSSI

Summary

Introduction

Nonsuicidal self-injurious (NSSI) behavior—defined as “the direct, deliberate destruction of one’s body tissue in the absence of intent to die” [1]—is a significant mental health concern. Research with community samples shows that the prevalence of adolescent NSSI ranges from 17.2–38.6% across the world [3,4]. This kind of behavior is usually nonfatal, individuals engaged in NSSI are at greater risk for suicide [5,6]. A burgeoning body of research has examined the etiology of various kinds of psychiatric disorders through the perspective of gene–environment interactions [8,9]; limited research on NSSI from this perspective limits the understanding of the development of this behavior. In the current study, we investigated childhood maltreatment (i.e., abuse and neglect) and two candidate genes

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion