Using an adoption design to test genetically based differences in risk for child behavior problems in response to home environmental influences

Differential susceptibility theory (DST) posits that individuals differ in their developmental plasticity: some children are highly responsive to both environmental adversity and support, while others are less affected. According to this theory, plasticity genes that confer risk for psychopathology in adverse environments may promote superior functioning in supportive environments. We tested DST using a broad measure of child genetic liability (based on birth parent psychopathology), adoptive home environmental variables (e.g., marital warmth, parenting stress, and internalizing symptoms), and measures of child externalizing problems (n = 337) and social competence (n = 330) in 54-month-old adopted children from the Early Growth and Development Study. This adoption design is useful for examining DST because children are placed at birth or shortly thereafter with nongenetically related adoptive parents, naturally disentangling heritable and postnatal environmental effects. We conducted a series of multivariable regression analyses that included Gene x Environment interaction terms and found little evidence of DST; rather, interactions varied depending on the environmental factor of interest, in both significance and shape. Our mixed finYdings suggest further investigation of DST is warranted before tailoring screening and intervention recommendations to children based on their genetic liability or sensitivity.

Automated summary

The Differential Susceptibility Theory suggests that individuals vary in their developmental plasticity, with some being highly responsive to environmental experiences. However, the study found limited evidence supporting this theory and observed that interactions vary depending on the specific environmental factors present. Further investigation is needed before tailoring screening and intervention recommendations based on genetic liability or sensitivity.