Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40059839›Full record

ArticlePsychological medicine2025

What is the role of paternal genetic transmission on risk for PTSD and internalizing and externalizing disorders?

Ananda B Amstadter, Linda Abrahamsson, James E Hart, Jan Sundquist, Kristina Sundquist, Kenneth S Kendler

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Psychological medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Ananda B AmstadterVirginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6285-9943
Linda AbrahamssonCenter for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
James E HartVirginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
Jan SundquistCenter for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
Kristina SundquistCenter for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
Kenneth S KendlerVirginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.

Funding

Genetic, Social, and Developmental Epidemiology of Drug Use DisordersR01DA030005 · NIDA · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · PI KENNETH SEEDMAN KENDLER, JAN O SUNDQUIST · 2010 to 2026
$7.6M
Social, Developmental and Genetic Epidemiology of Alcohol Use DisordersR01AA023534 · NIAAA · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · PI KENDLER, KENNETH SEEDMAN, SUNDQUIST, KRISTINA · 2015 to 2023
$4.0M
NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA023534NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA030005
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWe utilize a novel contrastive genetic-epidemiological method, the Maternal Half-Sibling Families with Discordant Fathers (MHSFDF) design, to examine cross-generational genetic transmission of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related internalizing major depression (MD), and externalizing disorders: alcohol use disorder (AUD) and drug use disorder (DUD).

methodsUsing Swedish national registries, we identified 72,467 maternal half-sibling pairs reared together whose biological fathers were discordant for the diagnoses of PTSD, MD, AUD, and DUD. Offspring selected had to have less than 1 year of contact with their affected fathers. We examined the differences in outcome for within- and cross-disorder risk of diagnosis in the half-siblings with an affected versus unaffected father.

resultsPaternal PTSD increased the risk of PTSD (HR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.05-1.96) and MD (HR: 1.55, CI: 1.28-1.88) in offspring. It did not, however, elevate the risk of externalizing disorders (AUD or DUD). Offspring of fathers with AUD, DUD, or MD had increased risk of PTSD, suggesting sharing of vertically transmitted genetic risk between these disorders. No sex effects were found for any studied diagnosis.

conclusionsThis study is the first to show cross-generation genetic transmission for PTSD using the MHSFDF design. The pattern of cross-disorder genetic risk broadly supported an internalizing versus externalizing disorder split.

Indexed as

AlcoholismChild of Impaired ParentsFathersMajor Depressive DisorderPaternal InheritanceStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticSubstance-Related DisordersAdolescentAdultFemaleGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseHumansMaleMiddle AgedRegistriesRisk Factorsgenetic epidemiologymajor depressive disorderposttraumatic stress disordersubstance use disorder

Identifiers

PMID40059839
PMCPMC12080631

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