Investigating the Mediating Role of Mental Disorders in the Relationship Between Early Sexual Intercourse and Intentional Self-Harm: A Two-Step and Multivariable Mendelian Randomization Study
Dameng Dong, Saboor Saeed, Rucheng Chen, An Chen, Weijun Zheng
{"title":"Investigating the Mediating Role of Mental Disorders in the Relationship Between Early Sexual Intercourse and Intentional Self-Harm: A Two-Step and Multivariable Mendelian Randomization Study","authors":"Dameng Dong, Saboor Saeed, Rucheng Chen, An Chen, Weijun Zheng","doi":"10.1002/brb3.70124","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Background</h3>\n \n <p>Epidemiological studies have established an association between early sexual intercourse and intentional self-harm. However, the causal mechanisms, particularly the role of mental health disorders, remain elusive.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Methods</h3>\n \n <p>In this Mendelian randomization (MR) study, we leveraged genome-wide association study data from multiple sources. Age at first sexual intercourse (AFSI) statistics were derived from the UK Biobank, encompassing up to 406,457 participants of European ancestry. Intentional self-harm (ISH) genome-wide association study (GWAS) data were obtained from the FinnGen Biobank, comprising 218,792 European-descent individuals. We investigated the causal relationship between AFSI and ISH and quantified the mediating effects of major depressive disorder (MDD; <i>n</i> = 173,005), schizophrenia (SCZ; <i>n</i> = 127,906), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; <i>n</i> = 55,374). Both two-step and multivariable MR approaches were employed to estimate the mediation effects of these psychiatric disorders.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>The <i>F</i>-statistics of all retained SNPs are over 10, indicating our study has no weak instrument bias. The odds ratio (OR) indicated that early sexual intercourse substantially increases the risk of ISH (IVW: OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.54–0.66, <i>p</i> < 0.05). Specifically, MDD was found to mediate 31% of this effect and SCZ 12%, collectively accounting for 46% of the total effect.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Conclusions</h3>\n \n <p>Early sexual intercourse is associated with an increased risk of intentional self-harm, potentially mediated by psychiatric disorders. These findings emphasize the need for mental health screening and early intervention in adolescents with early sexual debuts.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":9081,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Behavior","volume":"14 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/brb3.70124","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Brain and Behavior","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/brb3.70124","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Epidemiological studies have established an association between early sexual intercourse and intentional self-harm. However, the causal mechanisms, particularly the role of mental health disorders, remain elusive.
Methods
In this Mendelian randomization (MR) study, we leveraged genome-wide association study data from multiple sources. Age at first sexual intercourse (AFSI) statistics were derived from the UK Biobank, encompassing up to 406,457 participants of European ancestry. Intentional self-harm (ISH) genome-wide association study (GWAS) data were obtained from the FinnGen Biobank, comprising 218,792 European-descent individuals. We investigated the causal relationship between AFSI and ISH and quantified the mediating effects of major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 173,005), schizophrenia (SCZ; n = 127,906), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; n = 55,374). Both two-step and multivariable MR approaches were employed to estimate the mediation effects of these psychiatric disorders.
Results
The F-statistics of all retained SNPs are over 10, indicating our study has no weak instrument bias. The odds ratio (OR) indicated that early sexual intercourse substantially increases the risk of ISH (IVW: OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.54–0.66, p < 0.05). Specifically, MDD was found to mediate 31% of this effect and SCZ 12%, collectively accounting for 46% of the total effect.
Conclusions
Early sexual intercourse is associated with an increased risk of intentional self-harm, potentially mediated by psychiatric disorders. These findings emphasize the need for mental health screening and early intervention in adolescents with early sexual debuts.
期刊介绍:
Brain and Behavior is supported by other journals published by Wiley, including a number of society-owned journals. The journals listed below support Brain and Behavior and participate in the Manuscript Transfer Program by referring articles of suitable quality and offering authors the option to have their paper, with any peer review reports, automatically transferred to Brain and Behavior.
* [Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica](https://publons.com/journal/1366/acta-psychiatrica-scandinavica)
* [Addiction Biology](https://publons.com/journal/1523/addiction-biology)
* [Aggressive Behavior](https://publons.com/journal/3611/aggressive-behavior)
* [Brain Pathology](https://publons.com/journal/1787/brain-pathology)
* [Child: Care, Health and Development](https://publons.com/journal/6111/child-care-health-and-development)
* [Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health](https://publons.com/journal/3839/criminal-behaviour-and-mental-health)
* [Depression and Anxiety](https://publons.com/journal/1528/depression-and-anxiety)
* Developmental Neurobiology
* [Developmental Science](https://publons.com/journal/1069/developmental-science)
* [European Journal of Neuroscience](https://publons.com/journal/1441/european-journal-of-neuroscience)
* [Genes, Brain and Behavior](https://publons.com/journal/1635/genes-brain-and-behavior)
* [GLIA](https://publons.com/journal/1287/glia)
* [Hippocampus](https://publons.com/journal/1056/hippocampus)
* [Human Brain Mapping](https://publons.com/journal/500/human-brain-mapping)
* [Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour](https://publons.com/journal/7330/journal-for-the-theory-of-social-behaviour)
* [Journal of Comparative Neurology](https://publons.com/journal/1306/journal-of-comparative-neurology)
* [Journal of Neuroimaging](https://publons.com/journal/6379/journal-of-neuroimaging)
* [Journal of Neuroscience Research](https://publons.com/journal/2778/journal-of-neuroscience-research)
* [Journal of Organizational Behavior](https://publons.com/journal/1123/journal-of-organizational-behavior)
* [Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System](https://publons.com/journal/3929/journal-of-the-peripheral-nervous-system)
* [Muscle & Nerve](https://publons.com/journal/4448/muscle-and-nerve)
* [Neural Pathology and Applied Neurobiology](https://publons.com/journal/2401/neuropathology-and-applied-neurobiology)