Genetic and Environmental Influences on Parent–Child Conflict and Child Depression Through Late Adolescence

Few studies have investigated potential gender differences in the genetic and environmental influences on the prospective associations between parent–child conflict and later depression, a notable gap given substantial gender differences in rates of depression and suggestive evidence of differences in the etiology of depression among females and males. To fill this gap, we evaluated whether the prospective relationship between parent–child conflict and major depressive disorder symptoms varied as a function of parent–child gender composition. A combined twin and adoption sample was used (53% female; 85% European ancestry), containing 1,627 adolescent sibling pairs (789 monozygotic twin pairs, 594 dizygotic/full-biological pairs, 244 genetically unrelated pairs) with assessments at two time points in adolescence (approximate ages 15 and 18). Prospective associations between parent–child conflict and subsequent adolescent depression were explained predominately through common genetic influences for mother–d...