Adolescent Peers' Diagnoses and Genetic Predispositions and Subsequent Risk of Mental Disorders

Is exposure to peers’ diagnosed mental disorders and peers’ genetic predispositions associated with adolescents’ subsequent risk of developing mental disorders?In this nationwide cohort study of more than 600 000 Finnish adolescents, both peers’ genetic predispositions—inferred from relatives’ diagnoses—and peers’ own mental disorder diagnoses were associated with adolescents’ subsequent diagnosis of mental disorders. These associations were not explained by the probands’ own genetic predisposition or parental socioeconomic position.Peer networks, particularly in school settings, may influence mental health risk during adolescence and represent potential targets for preventive interventions.

Corresponding Author: Jussi Alho, PhD, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, PO Box 21, 00014 Helsinki, Finland (jussi.alho@helsinki.fi).

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