Caspi et al (2003)

Influence of life stress on depression:

Moderation by a polymorphism in
the 5-HTT gene
 Background
• Diathesis-stress theories of depression predict
that individuals’ responses to stressful events
depend on their genetic makeup and the nature
of the environmental stress.
• Research has not been able to identify a certain
gene related to depression, but the 5-HTT has
received specific attention because it is related to
the reuptake of serotnin- a neurotransmitter
related to the levels of happiness in a human.
 Aim
• Investigate why stressful life events lead to
depression in some people but not in others

• To investigate whether a functional change in

the 5HTT gene is linked to a higher or lower
risk of depression in an individual.
 Procedure
• The researchers used an opportunity sample from a cohort of participants who were
part of another longitudinal study. There were 847 participants of 26 years old and
they were split into three groups, depending on the length of the alleles on their
5HTT transporter gene:

• Group 1 - two short alleles

• Group 2 - one short and one long allele
• Group 3 - two long alleles

• The participants were given different questionnaires, one measuring the life events
that occurred between their 21st and 26th birthdays. Another question are evaluated
whether they had shown any symptoms of depression in the year before their 26th
birthdfay
 Results Conclusion
The interaction of
both nature and
nurture can lead to
the increase in
likelihood of
developing
depression

• The short variation of

the 5-HTT gene
increases the likelihood
of a person becoming
depressed in response
to stressful life
 Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
The sample is very large, making the
study generalizable
It gives examples of causes to doctors
regarding both nurture and nature, not
one or the other
Weaknesses
The study does not make it clear whether
the short version of the 5-HTT gene
makes people more likely to get
depressed, or more likely to put
themselves in stressful life events
The data is self-reported, meaning that
participants may have not been entirely
honest when reporting data. This means
the study is not very reliable.