Mapping relationships between ADHD genetic liability, stressful life events, and ADHD symptoms in healthy adults

Abstract

Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms are continuously distributed in the general population, where both genetic and environmental factors play roles. Stressful life events (SLEs) have been associated with ADHD diagnosis, but the relationship between ADHD genetic liability, SLEs, and ADHD symptoms in healthy individuals is less clear. Using a sample of 1,531 healthy adults (average age 26.9 years; 55.8% female), we investigated relationships between ADHD polygenic risk scores (ADHD‐PRSs), SLEs, and ADHD symptoms in a general population sample. Confirming earlier findings in an overlapping sample, all SLE‐measures assessed (lifetime SLEs, recent SLEs, and childhood trauma (CT)) were significantly correlated with total ADHD, inattention (IA), and hyperactivity‐impulsivity (HI) scores (r2 range = .08–.15; all p < .005). ADHD‐PRSs was associated with HI (R2best‐fit = .37%), lifetime SLEs (R2best‐fit = .56%), and CT (R2best‐fit = .40%). Mediation analyses showed that lifetime SLEs partially mediated the association between ADHD‐PRSs and HI (indirect effect: β = 68.6, bias corrected accelerated 95% confident interval (BCa95%CI) [11.9, 131.0], p = .016, proportion mediated (PM) =19.5%), with strongest effects contributed by CT (β = 34.4, BCa95%CI [0.4, 76.5], p = .040, PM = 9.8%). On the other hand, HI partially mediated the association between the ADHD‐PRSs and lifetime SLEs (β = 42.9, BCa95%CI [7.3, 83.9], p = .014, PM = 18.8%). Our study observed a complex relationship of genetic and environmental risk factors contributing to ADHD symptoms in the healthy adult population.

Association of cumulative prenatal adversity with infant subcortical structure volumes and child problem behavior and its moderation by a coexpression polygenic risk score of the serotonin system

“…Environmental factors account for 10% to 40% of the variance associated with ADHD (Sciberras et al, 2017). Nevertheless, ADHD has an estimated high heritability of 76% (Khan & Faraone, 2006), and a complex relationship of environmental factors with genetic liability for ADHD has been reported (Li et al, 2021). Several prenatal risk factors have been shown to be associated with ADHD, such as maternal smoking, substance abuse, exposure to chemical toxins, maternal distress, and birth complications.…”

Annual Research Review: The transdiagnostic revolution in neurodevelopmental disorders

“…PRS are less specific than previously thought, with large amounts of overlap across different NDDs and wider psychiatric and mental health conditions (e.g. Li, Franke, AriasVasquez, & Mota, 2021; Schork, 2018). These outcomes suggest that rather than detecting disorder‐specific mechanisms, PRS measures identify genes underpinning variations in cellular and biological pathways that confer a set of broader, transdiagnostic vulnerabilities.…”

Understanding the Impact of Deviant Peer Association on Dual Systems Model Development

“…ADHD presents one potential factor that may condition the effect of deviant peer association on dual systems cognitive development. As a disorder, ADHD is characterized by attention difficulties, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity, and may present a chronic course if left untreated in part because of genetic risk involved with the disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Li et al, 2021; Rasmussen and Levander, 2009). Although the prevalence of the disorder is approximately 5% in the general population of youths and higher than this among JIYs (Baglivio et al, 2017; Kaplan and Cornell, 2004), thus, presenting an issue facing a nontrivial amount of the young population, there remain numerous gaps in our understanding of the disorder with antisocial behavior.…”

“…As noted previously, low impulse control is a hallmark feature of ADHD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Prior research has indicated a genetic characteristic of the disorder that may make these impulse control issues chronic (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Li et al, 2021; Rasmussen and Levander, 2009). This is indicative of potential stability in levels of impulse control across the life course for individuals with the disorder.…”