{"title":"The Impact of Childhood Mental Health and Substance Use on Methylation Aging Into Adulthood","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jaac.2023.10.014","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><p><span>To test whether childhood mental health symptoms, substance use, and early adversity accelerate the rate of </span>DNA methylation (DNAm) aging from adolescence to adulthood.</p></div><div><h3>Method</h3><p><span>DNAm was assayed from blood samples in 381 participants in both adolescence (mean [SD] age = 13.9 [1.6] years) and adulthood (mean [SD] age = 25.9 [2.7] years). Structured diagnostic interviews were completed with participants and their parents at multiple childhood observations (1,950 total) to assess symptoms of common mental health disorders (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, </span>oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety, and depression) and common types of substance use (alcohol, cannabis, nicotine) and early adversities.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Neither childhood mental health symptoms nor substance use variables were associated with DNAm aging cross-sectionally. In contrast, the following mental health symptoms and substance variables were associated with accelerated DNAm aging from adolescence to adulthood: depressive symptoms (<em>b</em> = 0.314, SE = 0.127, <em>p</em> = .014), internalizing symptoms (<em>b</em> = 0.108, SE = 0.049, <em>p</em><span> = .029), weekly cannabis use (</span><em>b</em> =1.665, SE = 0.591, <em>p</em><span> = .005), and years of weekly cannabis use (</span><em>b</em> = 0.718, SE = 0.283, <em>p</em><span> = .012). In models testing all individual variables simultaneously, the combined effect of the variables was equivalent to a potential difference of 3.17 to 3.76 years in DNAm aging. A final model tested a variable assessing cumulative exposure to mental health symptoms, substance use, and early adversities. This cumulative variable was strongly associated with accelerated aging (</span><em>b</em> = 0.126, SE = 0.044, <em>p</em> = .005).</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Mental health symptoms and substance use accelerated DNAm aging into adulthood in a manner consistent with a shared risk mechanism.</p></div><div><h3>Plain language summary</h3><p>Using data from 381 participants in the Great Smoky Mountains Study, the authors examined whether childhood mental health symptoms, substance use, and early adversity accelerate biological aging, as measured by DNA methylation age, from adolescence to adulthood. Depressive symptoms and cannabis use were found to significantly accelerate biological aging. Models that tested the combined effect of mental health symptoms, substance use, and early adversity demonstrated that there was a shared effect across these types of childhood problems on accelerated aging.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":17186,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":9.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890856723022669","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PEDIATRICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective
To test whether childhood mental health symptoms, substance use, and early adversity accelerate the rate of DNA methylation (DNAm) aging from adolescence to adulthood.
Method
DNAm was assayed from blood samples in 381 participants in both adolescence (mean [SD] age = 13.9 [1.6] years) and adulthood (mean [SD] age = 25.9 [2.7] years). Structured diagnostic interviews were completed with participants and their parents at multiple childhood observations (1,950 total) to assess symptoms of common mental health disorders (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety, and depression) and common types of substance use (alcohol, cannabis, nicotine) and early adversities.
Results
Neither childhood mental health symptoms nor substance use variables were associated with DNAm aging cross-sectionally. In contrast, the following mental health symptoms and substance variables were associated with accelerated DNAm aging from adolescence to adulthood: depressive symptoms (b = 0.314, SE = 0.127, p = .014), internalizing symptoms (b = 0.108, SE = 0.049, p = .029), weekly cannabis use (b =1.665, SE = 0.591, p = .005), and years of weekly cannabis use (b = 0.718, SE = 0.283, p = .012). In models testing all individual variables simultaneously, the combined effect of the variables was equivalent to a potential difference of 3.17 to 3.76 years in DNAm aging. A final model tested a variable assessing cumulative exposure to mental health symptoms, substance use, and early adversities. This cumulative variable was strongly associated with accelerated aging (b = 0.126, SE = 0.044, p = .005).
Conclusion
Mental health symptoms and substance use accelerated DNAm aging into adulthood in a manner consistent with a shared risk mechanism.
Plain language summary
Using data from 381 participants in the Great Smoky Mountains Study, the authors examined whether childhood mental health symptoms, substance use, and early adversity accelerate biological aging, as measured by DNA methylation age, from adolescence to adulthood. Depressive symptoms and cannabis use were found to significantly accelerate biological aging. Models that tested the combined effect of mental health symptoms, substance use, and early adversity demonstrated that there was a shared effect across these types of childhood problems on accelerated aging.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) is dedicated to advancing the field of child and adolescent psychiatry through the publication of original research and papers of theoretical, scientific, and clinical significance. Our primary focus is on the mental health of children, adolescents, and families.
We welcome unpublished manuscripts that explore various perspectives, ranging from genetic, epidemiological, neurobiological, and psychopathological research, to cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, and other psychotherapeutic investigations. We also encourage submissions that delve into parent-child, interpersonal, and family research, as well as clinical and empirical studies conducted in inpatient, outpatient, consultation-liaison, and school-based settings.
In addition to publishing research, we aim to promote the well-being of children and families by featuring scholarly papers on topics such as health policy, legislation, advocacy, culture, society, and service provision in relation to mental health.
At JAACAP, we strive to foster collaboration and dialogue among researchers, clinicians, and policy-makers in order to enhance our understanding and approach to child and adolescent mental health.