What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: Addiction, Mental Health.

Where was this research published?

Published in Biological psychiatry on March 31, 2026.

Genetic risk was linked to specific childhood traumas, especially early

Q: What did this research study find?

In EU-GEI, the *posttraumatic stress disorder* PRS was associated with several early traumas, including emotional abuse (**OR = 3.37**), sexual abuse (**OR = 3.08**), physical abuse (**OR = 2.90**), and bullying (**OR = 2.19**).

Gene-Environment Correlation Across Trauma Subtypes and Developmental Timing: Evidence From the EU-GEI and ALSPAC.

Biological psychiatry • March 31, 2026 • Related

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AI Summary

This abstract asks whether genetic liability for psychiatric and behavioral traits is associated with exposure to different forms of childhood trauma—a phenomenon called gene-environment correlation (rGE). Researchers analyzed two observational human cohorts: the EU-GEI case-control study (1,191 participants) and the ALSPAC birth cohort (8,141 participants). They examined polygenic risk scores (PRSs) in relation to five trauma types—emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, bullying, and household discord—occurring either early (0–11 years) or later (12–17 years).

💡 Key Findings

In EU-GEI, the posttraumatic stress disorder PRS was associated with several early traumas, including emotional abuse (OR = 3.37), sexual abuse (OR = 3.08), physical abuse (OR = 2.90), and bullying (OR = 2.19).

High

88%

The ADHD PRS was associated with early sexual abuse, emotional abuse, household discord, and bullying; the schizophrenia PRS was associated with early emotional abuse and late bullying.

High

86%

In ALSPAC, 20 PRS–trauma associations were replicated, including associations involving ADHD, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and cannabis use disorder PRSs with early trauma exposures.

High

88%

The associations were statistically supported in the abstract, but the variance explained was small in both cohorts, indicating that these genetic scores accounted for only a limited part of differences in trauma exposure.

High

90%

📄 Original Abstract

BACKGROUND: Childhood trauma is a well-known environmental risk factor for psychiatric disorders, yet genetic influences may also shape exposure to adversity via gene-environment correlation (rGE). METHODS: We examined rGE between polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for psychiatric and behavioral traits and trauma subtypes across development in 2 large cohorts: the EU-GEI (European Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene-Environment Interactions) case-control study (n = 1191) and the ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) birth cohort (N = 8141). Trauma was assessed retrospectively in EU-GEI and both prospectively and retrospectively in ALSPAC. Multinomial logistic regressions tested associations between PRSs and timing of exposure (early: 0-11 years vs. late: 12-17 years) to 5 trauma types (emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, bullying, and household discord). RESULTS: In EU-GEI, 20 PRS-trauma associations survived false discovery rate correction. The posttraumatic stress disorder PRS showed strong associations with early emotional abuse (odds ratio [OR] = 3.37), sexual abuse (OR = 3.08), physical abuse (OR = 2.90), and bullying (OR = 2.19). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) PRS was linked to early sexual abuse (OR = 1.49), emotional abuse (OR = 1.33), household discord (OR = 1.27), and bullying (OR = 1.24). Schizophrenia (SCZ) PRS was associated with early emotional abuse (OR = 1.90) and late bullying (OR = 1.46). In ALSPAC, 20 PRS-trauma associations were replicated, including ADHD, depression, bipolar disorder, SCZ, and cannabis use disorder with early traumas. Variance explained was small in both cohorts. Sensitivity analyses restricted to control participants in EU-GEI confirmed results. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide novel and robust evidence for rGE between psychiatric PRSs and specific trauma exposures, particularly in early development, underscoring the importance of incorporating genetic liability in trauma research.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: Biological psychiatry
Published: March 31, 2026
PMID: 41933711
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2026.03.1000

Authors (20)

Giulia Trotta Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: giulia.trotta@kcl.ac.uk.
Isabelle Austin-Zimmerman Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Edoardo Spinazzola South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College of London, London, United Kingdom.
Senta Haussler Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Lucia Sideli Department of Human Science, LUMSA University, Rome, Italy.
+15 more authors

MeSH Keywords

Humans Gene-Environment Interaction Female Genetic Risk Score Male Child Adolescent Case-Control Studies Adverse Childhood Experiences Child, Preschool +7 more