Association of a serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and stressful life events with postpartum depressive symptoms: a population-based study.
We conducted a cross-sectional study nested within a cohort study with 276 postpartum women to evaluate the role of a serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and the stressful life events (SLE) on the risk of postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms in a community sample.
There were no main 5-HTTLPR genotype effects or significant interactions between genotype and life events or maternal postnatal depression on emotional symptoms.
Using a nontruncated measure of a chronic environmental stressor--socioeconomic status--measured by education, and two polymorphisms (5-HTTLPR and STin2 VNTR) of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT), we find strong evidence that some women are genetically more reactive to the environment, resulting in a crossover of risks of postpartum depression for the most reactive groups.