Amber M. Jarnecke

Genetic and Environmental Influences on Alcohol Use Problems: Moderation by Romantic Partner Support, But Not Family or Friend Support

BACKGROUND High levels of various forms of social support (e.g., romantic partner, family, friend) have a buffering effect on alcohol use outcomes in both adolescents and adults. The etiological associations among these variables have not been well studied. One possibility is that social support may buffer against inherited genetic predispositions to alcohol problems. Previous work has examined gene-environment interactions (G×E) for alcohol use disorders, but never for social support in adult twins. METHODS In the current study, biometric modeling techniques were implemented to examine genetic and environmental components of variance of social support and alcohol use problems in a sample of 672 adult twin pairs. Using biometric moderation models that estimate G×E in the presence of gene-environment correlation (rGE), analyses examined how genetic and environmental influences on alcohol use problems varied as a function of romantic partner support, family support, and friend support. RESULTS Genetic and environmental components of variance for alcohol use problems varied depending on the level of romantic partner support, with greater environmental influences found at the low level of support. Family and friend support, however, failed to show moderating effects. CONCLUSIONS The current research has implications for expanding our understanding of what types of social support may trigger or suppress genetic and environmental influences on alcohol use problems.

Post-adoption depression: Parental classes of depressive symptoms across time

BACKGROUND Approximately 10-15% of birth mothers and fathers experience postpartum depression, but reports of depressive symptoms in adoptive parents are more variable. Findings from investigators range from 10% to 32%, which may mask the experiences of distinct groups of adoptive parents from pre-to post-placement of a child. METHODS We performed latent class growth analysis using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scores of 129 primarily heterosexual, adoptive parents (50% females) for three time points: 4-6 weeks pre-placement of the child, 4-6 weeks post-placement, and 5-6 months post-placement. Mixed effects models by parent depressive trajectories were also conducted for three types of variables: interpersonal, psychological symptoms, and life orientation. RESULTS Five classes of depressive symptom trajectories were found. The majority of parents (71%) belonged to a class with low levels of depressive symptoms across time. However, two classes of parents were above the threshold for depressive symptoms at placement, and three classes of parents were above the threshold at 6 months post-placement. The majority of interpersonal, psychological symptom, and life orientation variables were significant across classes and by time. LIMITATIONS The homogeneity of the sample calls for replication of study findings. CONCLUSIONS An explanation for inconsistencies in the range of adoptive parent depressive symptoms may be explained by different subgroups of parents who vary by their trajectory of depressive symptoms before and after placement of the child. Adoption and mental health professionals should be aware that select adoptive parents may struggle pre-and post-placement of a child.

Impulsivity, communication, and marital satisfaction in newlywed couples

The authors used a vulnerability–stress–adaptation framework to examine how and why impulsivity affects communication and marital satisfaction in a sample of 100 newlywed couples. We specifically examined the links between impulsivity and perceptions of conflict communication patterns and their associations with marital satisfaction. Using an actor–partner interdependence framework, the results demonstrated that impulsivity was negatively associated with one’s own and partner’s marital satisfaction. Impulsivity was also negatively associated with constructive communication and positively associated with destructive communication. Furthermore, mediation analyses showed that communication patterns mediated the impulsivity–satisfaction link. Taken together, these findings suggest that impulsivity is likely to lead to lower marital satisfaction, partly through its effect on communication between partners. Adaptive relationship processes, such as interpersonal interactions between couple members, can have a significant impact on relationship satisfaction and stability (Gottman & Krokoff, 1989). Indeed, communication plays an important role in determining satisfaction in marriage as well as close relationships (Fletcher, 2002). The ways in which an individual communicates with his or her relationship partner is important in setting the overall tone of the relationship and gives rise to predictable patterns of behavior, especially when it concerns attempts to solve and deal with everyday problems and conflict (Christensen & Shenk, 1991). In the current research, we focus on communication as an important process with the potential for affecting marital relationship satisfaction. Given Kenneth Tan, School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University; Amber M. Jarnecke, Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University; Susan C. South, Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University. Correspondence should be addressed to Kenneth Tan, Singapore Management University, School of Social Sciences, 90 Stamford Road Level 4, Singapore 178903, Singapore, e-mail: kennethtanyy@smu.edu.sg. how personality traits influence the way individuals experience interpersonal relationships (e.g., Simpson, Winterheld, & Chen, 2006), we were also interested in examining how the dispositional factor of impulsivity is associated with different conflict communication patterns and consequently marital satisfaction. Because relationships are of a dyadic nature and examining the effects of both partners provides a more comprehensive view of relationship functioning, we further examine how a partner’s level of impulsivity can impact one’s own romantic relationship functioning. Vulnerability–stress–adaptation framework We utilized a vulnerability–stress–adaptation (VSA) framework in order to understand marital quality and functioning (Karney & Bradbury, 1995). This framework suggests that, first, individuals bring into their relationships pre-existing vulnerabilities. These relatively stable enduring vulnerabilities can take the form of personality traits (i.e., impulsivity in the present research) and/or past experiences (e.g., parental divorce). Next, relationships can also be impacted by external

Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms and Marital Relationship Functioning: The Mediating Role of Demand-Withdraw Communication Processes.

Marital outcomes are associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms; however, the processes by which these domains are associated with marital outcomes are not well understood. This study examined how demand-withdraw (DW) couple communication accounts for the association between symptoms of mental illness and marital distress. A mediational model was tested in a sample of 100 newlywed couples to determine: (a) whether internalizing and externalizing symptoms influenced own and partners level of DW communication, and (b) whether this communication pattern was associated with relationship outcomes, including lower marital satisfaction and presence of conflict. Results suggested that DW communication had significant effects on both partners marital outcomes and mediated the association between externalizing symptoms (for husbands) and marital distress.

Genetic and Environmental Influences on Adult Mental Health: Evidence for Gene-Environment Interplay as a Function of Maternal and Paternal Discipline and Affection

Researchers have long theorized that genetic influence on mental health may differ as a function of environmental risk factors. One likely moderator of genetic and environmental influences on psychopathological symptoms is parenting behavior, as phenotypic research shows that negative aspects of parent–child relationships are associated with greater likelihood of mental illness in adulthood. The current study examined whether levels of reported parental discipline and affection experienced in childhood act as a trigger, or buffer, for adult mental health problems. Results from a nationwide twin sample suggest level of father’s discipline and affection, as reported by now-adult twins, moderated genetic and environmental influences on internalizing symptoms in adulthood, such that heritability was greatest at the highest levels of discipline and affection. Father’s affection also moderated the etiological influences on alcohol use problems, with greater heritability at the lowest levels of affection. No moderating effect was found for mothers. Findings suggest relationships with fathers in childhood can have long-lasting effects on the etiological influences on adult mental health outcomes.

The role of parental marital discord in the etiology of externalizing problems during childhood and adolescence

Previous research has established that parental marital discord is associated with higher levels of offspring externalizing behaviors, but it is unclear how parental relationship functioning is associated with the genetic and environmental variance on a factor of externalizing problems. Thus, the current study assessed how parental marital discord moderates genetic and environmental variance on offspring externalizing problems at two different ages: childhood and late adolescence. That is, the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on offspring externalizing at ages 11 and 17 was examined as a function of parental marital discord. Consistent with a diathesis-stress model of psychopathology, it was hypothesized that with increasing marital discord, genetic influences on externalizing would be more pronounced. Rather, results indicated that for the 11-year-old sample, nonshared environmental influences were greater when parental marital discord was low, and comparatively, shared environmental influences contributed more to the variance in externalizing problems when parental marital discord was high. No moderation was found for the 17-year-old cohort. In contrast to studies that do not find an effect of the shared environment, these results provide evidence that the common rearing environment has an impact on externalizing problems in preadolescent children.

Structural equation modeling of personality disorders and pathological personality traits.

Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a family of related statistical techniques that lend themselves to understanding the complex relationships among variables that differ among individuals in the population. SEM techniques have become increasingly popular in the study of personality disorders (PDs) and maladaptive personality traits. The current article takes a critical look at the ways in which SEM techniques have been used in the study of PDs, PD symptoms, and pathological personality traits. By far the most common use of SEM in the study of PDs has been to examine the latent structure of these constructs, with an overwhelming bulk of the evidence in favor of a dimensional, as opposed to categorical, conceptualization. Other common uses of SEM in this area are factor models that examine the joint multivariate space of PDs, maladaptive personality traits, and psychopathology. Relatively underused, however, are observed or latent variable path models. We review the strengths and weaknesses of the work done to date, focusing on ways that these SEM studies have been either theoretically and/or statistically sound. Finally, we offer suggestions for future research examining PDs with SEM techniques.

Daily Diary Study of Personality Disorder Traits: Momentary Affect and Cognitive Appraisals in Response to Stressful Events.

Difficulties in emotional expression and emotion regulation are core features of many personality disorders (PDs); yet, we know relatively little about how individuals with PDs affectively respond to stressful situations. The present study seeks to fill this gap in the literature by examining how PD traits are associated with emotional responses to subjective daily stressors, while accounting for cognition and type of stressor experienced (interpersonal vs. noninterpersonal). PD features were measured with the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality-2 (SNAP-2) diagnostic scores. Participants (N = 77) completed a 1-week experience sampling procedure that measured affect and cognition related to a current stressor 5 times per day. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to examine whether and how baseline PD features, momentary cognitions, and type of stressor predicted level of affect. Results demonstrated that paranoid, borderline, and avoidant PD traits predicted negative affect beyond what could be accounted for by cognitions and type of stressor. No PD traits predicted positive affect after accounting for the effects of cognitive appraisals and type of stressor. Findings have implications for validating the role of affect in PDs and understanding how individuals with PDs react in the presence of daily hassles.