Yang Yang, Liu Chunyu, Chen Pian, Sun Shan, Zhang Hongmei, Wang Meiping, Zhang Wenxin
Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
Department of Student Affairs Management, Yantai University, Yantai, China.
J Youth Adolesc. 2025 May 13. doi: 10.1007/s10964-025-02195-8.
Previous research has explored the effects of early and recent stress on depressive symptoms, yielding meaningful findings. However, no research has yet comprehensively verified and compared the independent, multiplicative (interactive), and cumulative (additive) effects of these stresses on depressive symptoms. Consequently, the mechanisms by which early and recent stress contribute to depressive symptoms, as well as the extent of individual differences in these processes, remain poorly understood. This study aimed to address this gap by simultaneously examining the independent, multiplicative, and cumulative effects of recent stressful life events and adverse childhood events on depressive symptoms in late adolescence. Additionally, it investigated the moderating role of multilocus genetic variations related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis within these models. A theory-driven multilocus genetic profile score (MGPS) was calculated using FKBP5 rs1360780, NR3C1 rs41423247, and CRHR1 rs110402 polymorphisms. The study recruited a sample of 1227 adolescents (M = 18.94 ± 0.70 years, 56.8% girls) from one vocational college, two general colleges and two universities. Results showed that both the independent and cumulative effects of recent stressful life events and adverse childhood events on depressive symptoms were significant, while the multiplicative effects were non-significant. Moreover, the independent effects model was more explanatory than the cumulative effects model, with recent stressful life events being the primary contributor. A significant moderating effect of MGPS on the association between recent stressful life events and depressive symptoms was also observed. Specifically, those with higher MGPS, i.e., with higher susceptibility, exhibited more depressive symptoms when exposed to higher levels of recent stressful life events but fewer symptoms when exposed to lower levels. These findings deepen the understanding of how early and recent stress, along with genetic factors, influence depressive symptoms. It also provides valuable insights for targeted interventions to reduce depressive symptoms among college students.
先前的研究探讨了早期和近期压力对抑郁症状的影响，得出了有意义的结果。然而，尚无研究全面验证和比较这些压力对抑郁症状的独立、相乘（交互）和累积（相加）效应。因此，早期和近期压力导致抑郁症状的机制，以及这些过程中个体差异的程度，仍知之甚少。本研究旨在通过同时考察近期应激性生活事件和童年不良事件对青少年晚期抑郁症状的独立、相乘和累积效应来填补这一空白。此外，还研究了这些模型中与下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴相关的多位点基因变异的调节作用。使用FKBP5 rs1360780、NR3C1 rs41423247和CRHR1 rs110402多态性计算了一个理论驱动的多位点基因谱评分（MGPS）。该研究从一所职业学院、两所普通学院和两所大学招募了1227名青少年样本（M = 18.94 ± 0.70岁，56.8%为女孩）。结果表明，近期应激性生活事件和童年不良事件对抑郁症状的独立和累积效应均显著，而相乘效应不显著。此外，独立效应模型比累积效应模型更具解释力，近期应激性生活事件是主要贡献因素。还观察到MGPS对近期应激性生活事件与抑郁症状之间关联的显著调节作用。具体而言，MGPS较高的个体，即易感性较高的个体，在暴露于较高水平的近期应激性生活事件时表现出更多的抑郁症状，而在暴露于较低水平时症状较少。这些发现加深了我们对早期和近期压力以及遗传因素如何影响抑郁症状的理解。它还为减少大学生抑郁症状的针对性干预提供了有价值的见解。
