11th Annual IGSS Conference • September 24, 2020

Integrating Genetics and the Social Sciences 2020

Timing of Incarceration, Genetic Susceptibility, and Depression

Hexuan Liu, School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati

Social scientists have long been interested in the impact of incarceration on mental health. Numerous studies have shown that, compared to their counterparts, individuals with a history of incarceration are more likely to experience depression or other mental health problems later in life. Yet there are two important limitations in extant research on the incarceration-depression relationship. First, few studies have been attentive to the timing of incarceration. Because of that, an implicit assumption has been that the effect of incarceration is the same irrespective of the age at which incarceration occurs. Second, prior studies have not considered the possibility that the effect of incarceration on depression may differ among individuals with differential genetic susceptibility. This study tests hypotheses on relationships among timing of incarceration, genetic susceptibility, and depression in middle adulthood (age 21-45) using data from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. We find evidence that the effect of incarceration experience on depression risk increases from young to middle adulthood. Also, the effect of incarceration experience on depression risk is greater among individuals with higher genetic susceptibility to depression. Finally, the moderating effect of age on the incarceration-depression relationship is greater for those with high genetic susceptibility compared to those with low genetic susceptibility.

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