Does Biological Age Mediate the Relationship between Childhood Adversity and Depression? Insights from the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study

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Citation

Martinez, Rae Anne M.; Howard, Annie Green; Fernández-Rhodes, Lindsay; Maselko, Joanna; Pence, Brian W.; Dhingra, Radhika; Galea, Sandro; Uddin, Monica; Wildman, Derek E.; & Aiello, Allison E. (2024). Does Biological Age Mediate the Relationship between Childhood Adversity and Depression? Insights from the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study. Social Science & Medicine, 340, 116440.

Abstract

The link between childhood adversity and adulthood depression is well-established; however, the underlying mechanisms are still being explored. Recent research suggests biological age may mediate the relationship between childhood adversity and depression in later life. This study examines if biological age mediates the relationship between childhood adversity and depression symptoms using an expanded set of biological age measures in an urban population-based cohort. Data from waves 1–3 of the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study (DNHS) were used in this analysis. Questions about abuse during childhood were coded to form a childhood adversity score similar to the Adverse Childhood Experience measure. Multiple dimensions of biological age, defined as latent variables, were considered, including systemic biological age (GrimAge, PhenoAge), epigenetic age (Horvath, SkinBlood), and immune age (cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus type 1, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6). Depression symptoms, modeled as a latent variable, were captured through the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Models were adjusted for age, gender, race, parent education, and past depressive symptoms. Total and direct effects of childhood adversity on depression symptoms and indirect effects mediated by biological age were estimated. For total and direct effects, we observed a dose-dependent relationship between cumulative childhood adversity and depression symptoms, with emotional abuse being particularly influential. However, contrary to prior studies, in this sample, we found few direct effects of childhood adversity on biological age or biological age on depression symptoms and no evidence of mediation through the measures of biological age considered in this study. Further research is needed to understand how childhood maltreatment experiences are embodied to influence health and wellness.

URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116440

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2024

Journal Title

Social Science & Medicine

Author(s)

Martinez, Rae Anne M.
Howard, Annie Green
Fernández-Rhodes, Lindsay
Maselko, Joanna
Pence, Brian W.
Dhingra, Radhika
Galea, Sandro
Uddin, Monica
Wildman, Derek E.
Aiello, Allison E.

Article Type

Regular

Data Set/Study

Detroit Neighborhood Health Study (DNHS)

Continent/Country

United States

State

Michigan

Race/Ethnicity

White
Black
American Indian
Asian
Pacific Islander

ORCiD

Martinez, RA - 0000-0003-0262-1049