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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2010 Oct;24(5):513-21.
doi: 10.1037/a0020835.

Differential susceptibility to parenting among African American youths: testing the DRD4 hypothesis

Steven R H Beach  1 , Gene H Brody, Man-Kit Lei, Robert A Philibert
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Differential susceptibility to parenting among African American youths: testing the DRD4 hypothesis

Steven R H Beach et al. J Fam Psychol. 2010 Oct.

Abstract

To test the differential susceptibility to parenting hypothesis, a 4-wave, randomized prevention design was used to examine the impact of the Strong African American Families program on past-month substance use across 29 months as a function of DRD4 genotype. Youths (N = 337; M age = 11.65 years) were assigned randomly to treatment condition. Those carrying a 7-repeat allele showed greater differential response to intervention vs. control than those with two 4-repeat alleles. Control youths but not treatment youths with a 7-repeat allele reported increases in past-month substance use across the 29-month study period, but this pattern did not emerge for those with the 4-repeat allele. Supporting the differential susceptibility to parenting hypothesis, the results suggest a greater preventive effect for youths carrying a 7-repeat allele, a role for DRD4 in the escalation of substance use during adolescence, and potential for an enhanced understanding of early-onset substance use.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Youth genotype at DRD4 moderates SAAF effects on past-month substance use and parent genotype at DRD4 influences SAAF effects on intervention-targeted parenting
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