"Childhood adversity and 5-HTTLPR across mental health outcomes: A transdiagnostic meta-analysis"
Background: Childhood maltreatment is associated with increased risk for various psychiatric disorders, although individual responses to early adversity vary. The serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) has been examined as a potential moderator of sensitivity to environmental stress, but findings across studies have been inconsistent.
Objective: This meta-analysis examined whether 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms moderate the association between childhood adversity and clinically diagnosed psychiatric disorders.
Participants and settings: Fourteen studies (N = 3479) were included, representing community, population-based, and clinical samples from multiple regions.
Methods: Systematic searches of eight databases, last updated 3 December 2025, identified studies reporting 5-HTTLPR genotype, childhood adversity, and psychiatric diagnoses.
Results: Pooled analyses indicated no statistically significant interaction between childhood adversity and 5-HTTLPR genotype (ROR = 1.11, 95% CI 0.89-1.37).
Conclusion: Across available studies, evidence for an interaction between childhood adversity and 5-HTTLPR genotype was limited.
Shivam V. (2026). Childhood adversity and 5-HTTLPR across mental
health outcomes: A transdiagnostic meta-analysis.
Child abuse & neglect, 173, 107901.
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107901