DNA Methylation Across the Serotonin Transporter Gene Following Marital Separation: A Pilot Study
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Sbarra_MethySert_Final Accepted.pdf
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Final Accepted Manuscript
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Univ Arizona, Data Sci InstUniv Arizona, Dept Psychol
Issue Date
2019-12-12
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OXFORD UNIV PRESS INCCitation
Sbarra, D. A., Cook, C. C., Hasselmo, K., Noon, M. S., & Mehl, M. R. (2019). DNA Methylation Across the Serotonin Transporter Gene Following Marital Separation: A Pilot Study. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 53(12), 1081-1087.Journal
ANNALS OF BEHAVIORAL MEDICINERights
Copyright © Society of Behavioral Medicine 2019. All rights reserved.Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
Background Marital separation and divorce are stressful life transitions associated with increased risk for a range of poor mental and physical health outcomes. A key task for research in this area is to identify individual differences that may index risk for these adverse outcomes. Purpose To examine the association between DNA methylation across the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) and self-reported emotional distress following marital separation. Methods Genomic DNA methylation (from buffy coat fractions of whole blood) was quantified in a sample of 47 adults following a recent marital separation; concurrent with the blood draw, participants completed questionnaires on their psychological adjustment to the separation experience. Results Relatively greater methylation of SLC6A4 was associated with less subjective separation-related psychological distress, and this association held after accounting for participants' age, length of the relationship, time since the separation, and SLC6A4 genotype, b = -211.99, SE = 94.91, p = .03, 95% CI: -402.22, -25.21. Significantly stronger negative associations were observed between methylation and psychological adjustment among participants who had more recently separated from their former partner. Conclusions Although results derived from small samples must be considered preliminary and hypothesis generating, the current study raises new questions about the role of DNA methylation and psychosocial adaptation to stressful life events such as divorce, and the findings can inform future studies in this research area.Note
12 month embargo; published online: 12 December 2019ISSN
0883-6612PubMed ID
31053862Version
Final accepted manuscriptae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1093/abm/kaz013
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