Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Aug;38(5):743-750.
doi: 10.1037/fam0001229. Epub 2024 Apr 22.

Genetic and subjective sensitivity, relationship dynamics, and psychological distress in couples

Affiliations

Genetic and subjective sensitivity, relationship dynamics, and psychological distress in couples

Samantha M Brown et al. J Fam Psychol. 2024 Aug.

Abstract

Positive and negative aspects of intimate relationships influence mental health and well-being in couples. According to the environmental sensitivity framework, individuals differ in how strongly they are affected by their environment, with some individuals being more or less sensitive to both negative and positive experiences. The present study examined the longitudinal associations between positive and negative relationship dynamics, including marital satisfaction, positive bonding, and negative communication, and psychological distress as well as the extent to which individual differences in genetic and subjective measures of environmental sensitivity moderated the association between relationship dynamics and psychological distress in a sample of couples in the U.S. Army (n = 238 individuals representing 152 unique couples). Sensitivity was measured by self-report and a polygenic score derived from previous genome-wide association study results. Separate three-level multilevel models were conducted for each relationship dynamic and sensitivity variable. Only for subjective (i.e., self-reported) sensitivity did significant cross-level interactions emerge in predicting psychological distress, whereas no such interactions were found for genetic (i.e., polygenic score) sensitivity. Specifically, lower marital satisfaction and positive bonding were associated with higher psychological distress among subjectively highly sensitive individuals, and higher negative communication was associated with higher psychological distress among subjectively highly sensitive individuals. Findings suggest that both low positive and high negative relationship dynamics may have a greater effect on psychological distress among highly sensitive individuals, which may help to inform tailored intervention to meet the unique needs of couples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors do not have conflicts of interest to declare.

Similar articles

References

    1. Aron EN, & Aron A (1997). Sensory-processing sensitivity and its relation to introversion and emotionality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(2), 345–368. doi: 10.1037//022-3514.73.2.345 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Aron EN, Aron A, & Jagiellowicz J (2012). Sensory processing sensitivity: A review in the light of the evolution of biological responsivity. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 16, 262–282. doi: 10.1177/1088868311434213 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Assary E, Zavos HMS, Krapohl E, Keers R, & Pluess M (2021). Genetic architecture of environmental sensitivity reflects multiple heritable components: A twin study with adolescents. Molecular Psychiatry, 26, 4896–4904. doi: 10.1038/s41380-020-0783-8 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Balbona JV, Kim Y, & Keller MC (2021). Estimation of parental effects using polygenic scores. Behavioral Genetics, 51(3), 264–278. doi: 10.1007/s10519-020-10032-w - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Beach SRH, Sandeen EE, & O’Leary KD (1990). Depression in marriage: A model for etiology and treatment. New York: Guildford Press.