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Parenting × Brain Development interactions as predictors of adolescent depressive symptoms and well-being: Differential susceptibility or diathesis-stress?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2019

Camille Deane
Affiliation:
Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
Nandita Vijayakumar
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
Nicholas B. Allen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, MelbourneAustralia
Orli Schwartz
Affiliation:
Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, MelbourneAustralia Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia Centre of Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Julian G. Simmons
Affiliation:
Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, MelbourneAustralia
Chad A. Bousman
Affiliation:
Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia Departments of Medical Genetics, Psychiatry, and Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Canada Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
Christos Pantelis
Affiliation:
Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
Sarah Whittle*
Affiliation:
Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, MelbourneAustralia
*
Author for correspondence: Sarah Whittle, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Level 3, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry St, Carlton, VIC 3053; E-mail: swhittle@unimelb.edu.au.
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Abstract

It is unclear how individual differences in parenting and brain development interact to influence adolescent mental health outcomes. This study examined interactions between structural brain development and observed maternal parenting behavior in the prediction of adolescent depressive symptoms and psychological well-being. Whether findings supported diathesis-stress or differential susceptibility frameworks was tested. Participants completed observed interactions with their mothers during early adolescence (age 13), and the frequency of positive and aggressive maternal behavior were coded. Adolescents also completed structural magnetic resonance imaging scans at three time points: mean ages 13, 17, and 19. Regression models analyzed interactions between maternal behavior and longitudinal brain development in the prediction of late adolescent (age 19) outcomes. Indices designed to distinguish between diathesis-stress and differential susceptibility effects were employed. Results supported differential susceptibility: less thinning of frontal regions was associated with higher well-being in the context of low levels of aggressive maternal behavior, and lower well-being in the context of high levels of aggressive maternal behavior. Findings suggest that reduced frontal cortical thinning during adolescence may underlie increased sensitivity to maternal aggressive behavior for better and worse and highlight the importance of investigating biological vulnerability versus susceptibility.

Information

Type
Regular Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019
Figure 0

Figure 1. Prototypical differential susceptibility (left) and diathesis-stress (right) effects. The gray line indicates more brain change, and the black line less brain change. Roisman indices include the regions of significance on X (RoS on X), which examines values of the independent variable (X) for which the moderator (Z) and outcome variable (Y) are significantly associated. Significant associations must fall within +/–2 SD of the mean of X, as highlighted by the shaded areas. Interactions are broken down into two parts: better (B) and worse (W) outcomes predicted by the interaction. (B is uniquely predicted by differential susceptibility and a distinguishing factor between model effects.) B is expressed by two further indices: proportion of the interaction that reflects better outcomes (PoI; B/[B+W]) and proportion of individuals affected positively by X (PA). Differential susceptibility is inferred if Z and Y are significantly associated at both high and low values of X (W and B areas), the PoI = 40%–60%, and the PA ≥16% (scores closer to 50% provide stronger evidence). Diathesis-stress is inferred if Z and Y are significantly associated at high values of X (W area), the PoI equals <20%, and the PA equals <16% (scores closer to 0 provide stronger evidence).

Figure 1

Table 1. Sample characteristics

Figure 2

Table 2. Results for regression models, which included significant Parenting × Brain interactions

Figure 3

Table 3. Roisman indices reported for regression models, which included significant Parenting × Brain interactions

Figure 4

Figure 2. Interaction plots illustrating differential susceptibility effects. Adolescent psychological well-being predicted by aggressive maternal parenting and structural brain development. From left to right (upper figures): left medial orbitofrontal cortex and left rostral middle frontal cortex; (lower figures): left superior frontal cortex and right pars opercularis. All figures illustrate differential susceptibility effects for which reduced cortical thinning is associated with higher susceptibility to high and low levels of aggressive parenting. RH, right hemisphere. LH, left hemisphere. MFC, middle frontal cortex. FC, frontal cortex. OFC, orbitofrontal cortex.

Figure 5

Figure 3. Illustration of regions of interest (outlined). Labeled regions are those that were implicated in significant models.

Supplementary material: File

Deane et al. supplementary material

Tables S1-S4 and Figures S1-S2

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