English
version of this page
Publikasjoner
Publikasjoner
-
Sundgot-Borgen, Christine; Daus, Stephan; Fandrem, Hildegunn; Pedersen, Cathrine; Besche, Torstein de & Vestad, Lene
[Vis alle 36 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Multilevel implementation assessment of a national health and life skills curriculum policy: development and content validation.
Research Square.
ISSN 2693-5015.
doi:
10.21203/rs.3.rs-11061256/v1.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Abstract Background Curriculum policies addressing health and life skills pose challenges for implementation research because implementation depends on local interpretation and professional judgement rather than uniform content, dosage, or delivery. Existing implementation measures, often developed for standardised interventions, may therefore be poorly suited to capturing how such policies are interpreted and enacted across school-system levels. This study describes the development and content validation of the Health and Life Skills Implementation Assessment (HLS-IA), designed to assess a nationwide curriculum policy across school-owner, school-leader, teacher, and classroom-practice levels.
Methods Development combined implementation frameworks and reviews of existing measures with stakeholder involvement, two expert workshops, 17 cognitive interviews, and technical and quantitative pilot testing. These iterative procedures examined the relevance, comprehensibility, applicability, and practical feasibility of the questionnaires and informed successive revisions.
Results The development process resulted in four coordinated HLS-IA questionnaires addressing implementation determinants, processes, and outcomes. The questionnaire targeting classroom practice is administered repeatedly as a lesson-based teacher log and distinguishes planned from enacted practice. Stakeholder involvement shaped both the implementation domains prioritised for assessment and the contextual framing of individual items. Expert appraisal, cognitive interviews, and pilot testing identified problems concerning redundancy, school terminology, interpretation, applicability, response options, and questionnaire routing, leading to the removal, reformulation, and refinement of items and response formats. The first national application in 2025 included responses from approximately 458 schools, demonstrating the practical feasibility of coordinated multilevel data collection while also highlighting recruitment challenges.
Conclusions Developed through content-validation procedures, the HLS-IA provides a basis for examining how organisational and contextual conditions shape the local enactment of health- and life-skills-related aims in schools and for subsequent psychometric evaluation. The study also offers transferable methodological guidance for assessing complex health-promoting policies implemented through existing public institutions, particularly when professional judgement, local adaptation, and coordination across system levels are integral to implementation.
-
Carson, Alexis Christine; Zidan, Mahmoud; Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Gervin, Kristina; Galesloot, Tessel E. & Scholte, Iris
[Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Genetically Informed Research Designs in Perinatal Pharmacoepidemiology: A Methodological Overview.
Drug Safety.
ISSN 0114-5916.
49(7),
s. 761–773.
doi:
10.1007/s40264-026-01647-9.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Despite the widespread use of medications during pregnancy, ethical and methodological barriers to clinical trials make observational studies necessary for evaluating medication safety in this population. Observational studies are prone to biases that often limit their validity due to the lack of randomization; integrating genetic information through discordant sibling designs, polygenic scores, and Mendelian randomization can address several confounding issues. However, application of these three approaches in perinatal pharmacoepidemiology has been limited. Complementing traditional designs with these genetically informed research designs can tackle common biases and strengthen causal inference. This paper focuses on applying genetically informed research designs to child outcomes in perinatal pharmacoepidemiology by reviewing various methods, discussing their strengths and limitations, and examining their application to date, as well as considerations for implementing them in future research. Such considerations include the availability of genetic data, the complexity of integrating genetic data with existing epidemiological data, and selection of appropriate genetic instruments for analyses. Incorporating causal inference in perinatal pharmacoepidemiology can ultimately contribute to enhancing safe medication use during pregnancy.
-
Ystrom, Eivind
(2026).
Editorial: When children also shape the family environment.
JCPP Advances.
6(2).
doi:
10.1002/jcv2.70136.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Family research in child and adolescent mental health has often been framed as if influence runs mainly from adults to children. Bjørndal et al. provide a timely corrective. Using longitudinal network models that separate within‐person from between‐person associations, they show that adolescent mental health difficulties and family dynamics are interrelated over time, and that emotional symptoms may precede later hyperactivity/inattention and sibling problems. Their findings also point to reinforcing loops within the family system, particularly between low family support and negative feelings towards the family. This matters because family members are not merely environmental exposures; they are genetically correlated social environments, and children can shape parental and sibling dynamics as well as be shaped by them. Distinguishing between variables with stronger outgoing and ingoing influence may help refine which intervention hypotheses should be prioritized, and which should be discarded or treated more cautiously.
-
Hoyos, Lucía de; Schlag, Fenja; Jahagirdar, Sanjeevan; Corfield, Elizabeth Claire; Allegrini, Andrea G. & Admiraal, Danielle
[Vis alle 95 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Genome-wide analysis of social behaviour across social domains, reporters and developmental stages: a meta-regression approach.
Nature Human Behaviour.
doi:
10.1038/s41562-026-02551-z.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Social behaviour is a heritable trait linked to well-being and mental health, yet it varies across social context, including social domains, informants and development, which may shape its underlying genomic architecture. Here, we conducted a genome-wide meta-regression meta-analysis of social behaviour from infancy to early adulthood, studying ~500,000 repeated measures in European-ancestry cohorts ( N = 73,321). We modelled heterogeneity in single-variant associations across social domains (low prosocial behaviour and peer/social difficulties), multiple informants (parents, teachers and self-reports) and ages (2–29 years), identifying 6 associated loci, including variation within CADM2 ( P = 2.51 × 10 −9 ). Single nucleotide polymorphism-based heritability ranged from 2% to 7%, and the genetic architecture comprised 4 factors reflecting differences in either social domains or informants. Polygenic scores ( N = 16,305) accurately predicted contextual variation in independent cohorts, with some cross-ancestry transferability. Context-specific patterns of genetic correlations, particularly when estimating the developmental onset of associations, offer opportunities to disentangle shared trajectories linking social behaviour with later-life and mental health outcomes.
-
Peters, Kim; Jeftić, Alma; Ballard, Timothy; Zhou, Steven; Steffens, Niklas K. & Inceoglu, Ilke
[Vis alle 379 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Think political leader — think he or she? A multi-country test of a gender-fair language intervention to reduce gendered leadership stereotypes.
Leadership Quarterly.
ISSN 1048-9843.
37(6),
s. 101991–101991.
doi:
10.1016/j.leaqua.2026.101991.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Women are greatly underrepresented in positions of political leadership around the world. In seeking to explain this underrepresentation, some researchers have pointed to people's tendencies to stereotype leaders as more similar to men than women as these tendencies can support the belief that women are unsuited to leadership. This project aimed to test whether a subtle linguistic intervention was able to ameliorate this gender bias in political leadership stereotypes across different languages and national contexts (country/region N = 42, language N = 30, sample N = 22,996). Specifically, this project examined whether gender-fair language (e.g., the use of paired pronouns ‘he or she’) can reduce the tendency for people to stereotype political leaders as more similar to men than women. To increase the rigor with which these stereotypes were measured, this project complemented the dominant ‘cheap talk’ measure of personal stereotype content with an incentivised community measure of this content. As expected, participants stereotyped political leaders as more similar to men than women; this pattern was stronger on the incentivised measure of community stereotypes. Unexpectedly, there was no evidence that paired pronouns reduced this bias (there was weak exploratory evidence that paired nouns increased participants' tendencies to stereotype political leaders as more similar to women). This project suggests that the ability of gender-fair language interventions to ameliorate gender bias in the political leadership domain may be limited.
-
Vira, Emily Gabriela; Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; Kjøbli, John; Røysamb, Espen; Helland, Siri Saugestad & Nes, Ragnhild Bang
(2026).
Automatic emotional responses as a transdiagnostic risk and emotional control as a protective factor for adolescent psychopathology: a network analysis.
Scientific Reports.
doi:
10.1038/s41598-026-60118-4.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Abstract Adolescence is a critical developmental period marked by heightened risk for emotion-related impulsivity (ERI), challenges in emotion regulation (ER), and mental health difficulties. Dual-process models propose that individuals respond to emotions either automatically or deliberately, with implications for mental health. We applied network analysis using a Gaussian Graphical Model to examine associations between automatic and deliberate emotional responses and symptoms of internalizing, externalizing, and thought problems in a general population of adolescents from south-east Norway ( N = 918; Mage = 13.97, SD = 0.93, range = 12–18; 54.60% female). This cross-sectional study relied on self-report. Automatic ER and ERI nodes exhibited the most connections with symptom nodes across internalizing, externalizing, and thought problems. The strongest association linked limited access to ER strategies with feeling down and depressed. Deliberate ER nodes were also interconnected with symptoms, the strongest association showing more emotional control being linked to less feeling bad or not liking oneself. Several nodes demonstrated many or strong connections with other nodes within and across their groupings (i.e., strength and bridge centrality, respectively). Findings suggest that responding automatically may reflect a transdiagnostic risk factor and emotional control may serve as a protective factor, and these may be particularly useful targets in intervention and prevention efforts. Future studies are needed to determine causality.
-
Bridger, Emma K.; Maltby, John; Fried, Eiko I.; Ebrahimi, Omid V. & Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae
(2026).
Linking psychological distress and multilevel socioeconomic disadvantage: A representative population-based study of 15,851 U.K. adults.
American Psychologist.
ISSN 0003-066X.
doi:
10.1037/amp0001705.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
-
-
Kuper, Niclas; Gardiner, Gwendolyn; Baranski, Erica; Funder, David C.; Rauthmann, John F. & Project, Members of the International Situations
(2026).
Cultural differences in the Personality Triad: The interplay of personality traits, situation characteristics, and behavioral states around the world.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
ISSN 0022-3514.
130(5),
s. 1046–1046.
doi:
10.1037/pspp0000581.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Kraft, Brage; MacSweeney, Niamh Anne; Page, Christian Magnus; Lyle, Robert; Tsotsi, Stella & Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet
[Vis alle 12 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
The effect of prenatal maternal stress on adolescent internalizing symptoms and the genetic moderation of executive functioning and prefrontal cortex.
Psychological Medicine.
ISSN 0033-2917.
56.
doi:
10.1017/S0033291726105431.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Background: Prenatal maternal stress is a known risk factor for later emotional problems, yet not all exposed offspring develop psychopathology. Executive functioning and prefrontal cortex structure and activity may buffer these effects, but it remains unclear whether genetic predis positions in these domains moderate associations with adolescent internalizing symptoms.
Methods: We examined 3,111 adolescents (1,881 females, 1,230 males). Prenatal stress was measured via a cumulative index across four domains. Internalizing symptoms were self reported at ages 14 and 16. Genetic predisposition for executive functioning was indexed using a polygenic score (PGS) derived from adult samples, applied here to estimate genetic predis position for executive functioning in adolescence. We also estimated a prefrontal cortex PGS based on cortical thickness and activation in six prefrontal regions, with a composite index derived from the first principal axis summarizing these measures.
Results: Higher prenatal stress was significantly associated with more internalizing symptoms in adolescence. Female sex and maternal genetic risk for internalizing symptoms were also associated with higher symptom levels. Neither genetic disposition for executive functioning nor prefrontal cortex moderated this association overall. However, a weak interaction emerged at age 16, indicating that a genetic disposition for higher executive functioning was associated with greater internalizing symptoms under high stress exposure.
Conclusions: Prenatal maternal stress predicted increased adolescent internalizing symptoms, with limited evidence for moderation by genetic predisposition for executive functioning. Higher genetic potential for executive functioning may confer increased sensitivity to early stress under certain developmental conditions.
-
-
Corfield, Elizabeth Claire; Shadrin, Alexey; Frei, Oleksandr; Rahman, Mohammad Zillur; Akdeniz, Bayram Cevdet & Filiz, Tahir Tekin
[Vis alle 29 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Family genetic designs in MoBa provide insights into health and functioning.
Nature.
ISSN 0028-0836.
doi:
10.1038/s41586-026-10926-5.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Genome-wide association studies using large, population-based samples of unrelated individuals have discovered thousands of genetic associations with health and disease1. These studies can help explain genetic and environmental risks. However, increasing evidence suggests that population-based estimates, while precise, can also reflect confounding that affects their use and interpretation. This confounding can be overcome using data from genotyped family members, such as nuclear mother–father–child trios2,3. However, samples of genotyped families are rare4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11. Here we illustrate some of the advantages of familial data using the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), a population-based cohort of parents and offspring with extensive genotype data (n ≈ 230,000) (ref. 3), along with broad and longitudinal phenotyping of health and functioning. We provide an overview of MoBa and describe the quality control of genotype data tailored to this extensively related sample. We then use trio data to illustrate how family-based genomic designs can identify distinct direct and indirect sources of genetic influence and structural confounding. As examples, we analyse children’s height, educational achievement, depressive symptoms and sleep duration. These demonstrations highlight MoBa as a broadly valuable resource for advancing understanding of health and functioning across the lifecourse and generations.
-
-
-
Barak, Eden Nordvold; Kolskår, Knut-Kristian; Dahl, Christine; Alnæs, Dag; Andreassen, Ole & Nærland, Terje
[Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Birth Weight and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Across Diagnostic Categories: A Registry-Based Case–Control Study in Clinically Ascertained Samples | Child Psychiatry & Human Development | Springer Nature Link.
Child Psychiatry and Human Development.
ISSN 0009-398X.
doi:
10.1007/s10578-026-02090-8.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Increasing prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) is a growing public health concern. Identifying early risk markers may facilitate earlier intervention and reduce long-term burden. Although birth weight has been widely studied in relation to NDDs, evidence from clinically ascertained samples with single and overlapping diagnoses remains limited. In this case-control study, we compared birth weight between clinically referred individuals with intellectual disability (ID), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from the Norwegian BUPgen registry (n = 720) and a population-based sample from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) (n = 98,716). Perinatal data were obtained through linkage to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Associations were examined using logistic regression adjusted for gestational age, sex, and parental age. Additional analyses assessed interactions by sex and parental age, and birth weight categories. For each 100 g decrease in birth weight, odds significantly increased for the groups any NDD (one or more NDD diagnoses; OR = 1.04) and multiple diagnoses (two or more co-occurring NDDs; OR = 1.07). In diagnosis specific analyses, odds significantly increased for ID (OR = 1.15) and ASD (OR = 1.03). No interactions were observed. In categorical analyses, low birth weight was associated with higher odds of ID (OR = 8.27, p < 0.001), multiple diagnoses (OR = 4.96, p < 0.001), and any NDD (OR = 2.11, p = 0.002). No associations were observed for high birth weight. These findings support low birth weight as an early marker of neurodevelopmental vulnerability across NDD outcomes. Lower birth weight was associated with higher odds of ID, ASD, multiple diagnoses and any NDD, but not ADHD. Associations were strongest and most consistent for ID and comorbid presentations, indicating heterogeneity across diagnostic categories. Increased risk was primarily observed at low birth weight, with no associations for high birth weight. Findings support birth weight as an early marker of neurodevelopmental vulnerability in a clinically ascertained sample.
-
Demange, Perline Aline Delle; Nivard, Michel G.; Torvik, Fartein Ask; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie & Nordmo, Magnus
[Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
No evidence of parental mental health influencing children’s academic achievement: a within-family study.
European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
ISSN 1018-8827.
doi:
10.1007/s00787-026-03100-9.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Children of parents with psychopathology generally perform less well in school than their peers. Parental symptoms might not, however, account for their lower achievement, as other familial factors might contribute. To examine the role of parental symptoms, we analyse data from 9,000 families in the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Study (MoBa). Parents reported their symptoms of anxiety, depression, ADHD, eating disorders, and alcohol use disorder during pregnancy and during their child’s childhood. Children in 5th grade (aged 10) completed nationally-standardised tests of mathematics, reading comprehension, and English (as an additional language). Comparing children who are cousins (children-of-siblings design), we controlled for unmeasured factors shared among family members that confound the relationship between parental mental health and children’s academic achievement. We found small associations between greater parental symptoms and lower scores in reading and mathematics (− 0.060 ≤ β ≤ −0.013). However, these associations were no longer significant when comparing cousins whose parents differ in mental health. Results suggest that parental symptoms do not exert a direct, clinically meaningful effect on children’s academic achievement. Although non-significant, associations with parental symptoms measured close to the child’s academic test are less attenuated than those measured during pregnancy. Notably, comparison between the overall MoBa sample and the children-of-siblings samples suggests ascertainment differences that hinder strong generalisations. Our findings underscore the importance of quasi-experimental family designs in identifying modifiable targets in intergenerational health and education research. Supporting parental mental health is crucial but its direct effect on children’s achievement may be smaller than often thought.
-
Liu, Jinrui; Vittersø, Joar; Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Mayerhofer, Lilian Juliane Kozlowski & Røysamb, Espen
(2026).
Jingle all the way? Pleasant and energized positive affect show differential longitudinal relationships with life satisfaction and personality.
Journal of Positive Psychology.
ISSN 1743-9760.
doi:
10.1080/17439760.2026.2701098.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Positive affect (PA) is operationalized differently across studies, leaving open whether distinct conceptualizations relate to subjective wellbeing (SWB) similarly over time. Although mainstream wellbeing theory treats PA and life satisfaction (LS) as components of a latent SWB factor, empirical findings on their causal relations remain inconsistent. This study examined whether pleasant versus energized PA show comparable longitudinal associations with LS using random-intercept cross-lagged panel models across nine waves from two national longitudinal datasets, PAIRFAM (N = 12,520) and LISS (N = 17,532). Both PA types showed consistent bidirectional associations with LS, but relationships were stronger for pleasant PA. Cross-lagged effects and time-specific residual correlations were approximately twice as large compared to energized PA. Pleasant and energized PA also differed in their associations with extraversion and neuroticism. These findings suggest that PA indicator choice affects SWB measure validity, with implications for positive psychology interventions targeting SWB.
-
Bright, Joanna K.; Ahmadzadeh, Yasmin I.; Oginni, Olakunle; Viding, Essi; Leve, Leslie D. & Neiderhiser, Jenae M.
[Vis alle 11 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Triangulating evidence for genetic and environmental components of associations between parental behaviours and aggressive behaviour in children.
Nature Communications.
17(1).
doi:
10.1038/s41467-026-75095-5.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Parenting behaviours are often linked to childhood aggression, but many studies fail to account for shared genetics or test directionality. Using family-based designs, we control for genetic confounding and examined bidirectional effects across two samples. First, we apply a children-of-twins/siblings design in the Norwegian Mother Father and Child Cohort Study which uses genetic relatedness between family members to separate genetic and environmental components of parent-child associations. Second, we use longitudinal models in the USA-based Early Growth and Development Study, an adoption sample where parents and child are not genetically related, enabling estimation of parent-child associations without genetic confounding.
Across both studies, we find evidence for genetic and environmental transmission between parenting and child aggression. We show significant child-to-parent effects on inconsistent discipline in both samples. In the children-of-twins analysis, the association between positive parenting and child aggression is shown to be due to shared genetics, where no statistically significant association is observed in the adoption sample. These findings build on the growing body of literature showing genetic influences on both aggression and parenting behaviours, whilst underscoring the value of triangulation.
-
Bond, Tom A.; McAdams, Tom A.; Warrington, Nicole Maree; Hannigan, Laurie; Eilertsen, Espen Moen & Ayorech, Ziada
[Vis alle 12 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Parental body mass index and offspring childhood body size and eating behaviour: A structural equation modelling analysis in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study.
PLoS Medicine.
ISSN 1549-1277.
23(6).
doi:
10.1371/journal.pmed.1005094.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Background
The intergenerational transmission of obesity-related traits could propagate an accelerating cycle of obesity, if parental adiposity causally influences offspring adiposity. The extent to which intergenerational obesity associations are due to such causal effects, as opposed to genetic confounding (inheritance), is unclear. We aimed to establish whether associations between parental peri-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and offspring birth weight (BW), BMI until 8 years of age, and 8-year-old eating behaviour are due to genetic confounding.
Methods and findings
Data were from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study, a prospective population-based birth cohort born between 1999 and 2009 at 50 out of 52 hospital maternity units in Norway. We compared the strength of the associations of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI versus paternal BMI during pregnancy, with offspring outcomes including birth weight and BMI assessed between age 6 months and 8 years of age, and appetite-related eating behaviour traits assessed at age 8 years via the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ), adjusting for potential confounders including parity, parental/grandparental language group and parental age, smoking, education and income). We then used an extended children of twins structural equation model (SEM) to quantify the extent to which associations were due to genetic confounding. Up to 85,866 children (51.3% male) were included in linear regression models, whereas SEM models included up to 50,999 children. Maternal BMI was more strongly associated than paternal BMI with offspring BW, but the maternal-paternal difference decreased for offspring BMI after birth. Greater parental BMI was associated with obesity-related offspring eating behaviours. SEM results indicated that genetic confounding did not explain the association between parental BMI and offspring BW, but explained the majority of the association with offspring BMI from 6 months onwards. For 8-year BMI, genetic confounding explained 79% (95% CI [62, 95]; p = 1.9 × 10−12) of the covariance with maternal BMI and 94% (95% CI [72, 113]; p = 2.7 × 10−14) of the covariance with paternal BMI. Limitations of this study include selective recruitment and attrition, potential bias due to parental assortative mating, and that findings may not generalise beyond high-income country settings with high obesity prevalence.
Conclusions
We found strong evidence that parent–child BMI associations may primarily be due to genetic confounding. When considered alongside prior evidence, this finding may argue against a strong causal effect of maternal or paternal adiposity on childhood adiposity via intrauterine or periconceptional mechanisms.
-
Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; Hegemann, Laura Elizabeth; Pettersen, Johanne Hagen; Corfield, Elizabeth Claire; Hannigan, Laurie & Yilmaz, Zeynep
[Vis alle 14 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Investigating Relationships Between Genetic Risk, Childhood Maltreatment, and Eating Disorders in Women.
Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science.
6(5).
doi:
10.1016/j.bpsgos.2026.100761.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Background
Genetic and environmental factors contribute to eating disorder risk, yet their interplay is poorly understood. We examined whether childhood maltreatment and polygenic scores for anorexia nervosa (PGS-AN) and binge-eating broad (PGS-BEB) are associated with eating disorders. We also examined the interactions between childhood maltreatment and PGSs in predicting eating disorders.
Methods
This nested case-control study used data from up to 63,989 mothers in the MoBa (Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study). Mothers reported on their own experiences of 4 childhood maltreatment types: long-term humiliation or degradation, threats to self or someone close, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Diagnoses of AN, bulimia nervosa (BN), binge-eating disorder (BED), purging disorder (PD), and binge-eating spectrum disorders (BESP) were obtained using self-report data from 5 time points and population health registers.
Results
The prevalence of AN, BN, BED, PD, and BESP was 2.19%, 4.15%, 10.39%, 0.60%, and 12.96%, respectively. All childhood maltreatment types were strongly associated with elevated eating disorder likelihood (with odds ratios [ORs] ranging from 1.71 to 3.29) as were eating disorder PGSs (with ORs ranging from 1.05 to 1.31). There were no multiplicative interaction effects between childhood maltreatment and PGSs. Small additive interactions were observed between PGS-AN and PGS-BEB and degradation/humiliation for BN and BESP in exploratory analyses.
Conclusions
Eating disorder PGSs and childhood maltreatment are associated with higher odds of eating disorders. Furthermore, we found tentative evidence of small additive interaction effects between polygenic liability and childhood maltreatment, suggesting that their combined influence further elevates the risk of some eating disorders.
-
Wechsler, Daniel L.; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Ahmadzadeh, Yasmin I.; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Adamo, Nicoletta & Hannigan, Laurie
[Vis alle 8 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Direct and Indirect Genetic Effects on Child ADHD Traits in Early and Mid-Childhood: Trio Genome-Wide Complex Trait Analyses in a Large Norwegian Birth Registry Cohort.
Behavior Genetics.
ISSN 0001-8244.
56(4),
s. 184–193.
doi:
10.1007/s10519-026-10273-1.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Genetic variants in family members may exert environmentally mediated indirect genetic effects on children’s attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits. We set out to quantify the indirect genetic effects of parents’ genotypes on children’s ADHD traits as measured in early and mid-childhood. We analyzed data from genotyped trios of children, mothers, and fathers of European ancestry from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) birth cohort. Child ADHD data were available for analytic subsamples of 12,374 trios at age 5 (children 50.5% male), and 12,714 trios at age 8 (children 50.9% male). We quantified direct genetic effects of children’s genotype and indirect effects of mothers’ and fathers’ genotypes on children’s ADHD traits at each age. Differing patterns of direct and indirect genetic effects were observed in early and mid-childhood, with predominantly maternal indirect genetic effects on ADHD traits at age 5, and roughly equal direct genetic effects and maternal indirect effects on ADHD traits at age 8. However, large standard errors hindered confident inference as to the relative importance of specific effects, and model fit comparisons ultimately favored models with no indirect genetic effects at age 5 and 8, as well as no direct genetic effects at age 5. We do not find clear evidence of indirect genetic effects of maternal or paternal genotype on child ADHD traits at ages 5 and 8, nor direct genetic effects on child ADHD traits at age 5. While previous findings of indirect genetic effects on ADHD subdomains at ages 3 and 8 broadly support the plausibility of indirect genetic effects operating on total ADHD scores at ages 5 and 8, it appears that indirect genetic effects on overall ADHD trait magnitude may be more difficult to estimate with precision than subdomain-specific effects.
-
Sætren, Sjur Skjørshammer; Tjora, Tore; Tamnes, Christian Krog; Ferschmann, Lia; Hafstad, Gertrud Sofie & Augusti, Else-Marie
(2026).
Distinct Associations of Threat and Deprivation With Changes in Affective Control during Adolescence: A Longitudinal Population-Based Study.
Developmental Science.
ISSN 1363-755X.
29(5).
doi:
10.1111/desc.70264.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Porneso, Ralph; Havdahl, Alexandra; Eilertsen, Espen Moen & Ystrom, Eivind
(2026).
Longitudinal genome-wide analysis reveals putative non-additive loci in trait development.
Cell reports.
45(8).
doi:
10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117840.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Complex traits emerge from reciprocal interactions among genotype, environment, and developmental processes. Yet, standard genetic models assume purely additive effects, potentially obscuring non-additive effects. Here, we introduce a longitudinal log-linear variance and genotype-by-time model to detect associations from within-individual variation departing from additivity, i.e., putative non-additive effects. Applied to early growth (infant length and BMI) and cognitive traits (math and reading) of 45,000 to 65,000 individuals, we report 76 lead putative non-additive loci that are enriched 16-fold for cis-regulatory interactions. Of the 76, 6 overlap prior interaction studies (anthropometric) and only 3 loci overlap prior genome-wide association study (GWAS) (cognitive). Accounting for scale effects and linkage disequilibrium (LD), we observe that additive effects are correlated with putative non-additive effects, i.e., “effect pleiotropy.” These results are consistent with non-additive genetic contribution to trait development, which may partly be absorbed by effects estimated under standard GWAS parameterization that assumes strict additivity.
-
Rayner, Christopher; Hannigan, Laurie; Badini, Isabella; Demange, Perline Aline Delle; Ofstad, Sverre Berg & Ystrøm, Eivind
[Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Quantifying and adjusting for selection biases in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study using population-wide individual-level registry information.
International Journal of Epidemiology.
ISSN 0300-5771.
55(4).
doi:
10.1093/ije/dyag122.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Background
Selective participation in research studies hampers researchers’ ability to draw valid and generalizable inferences from analyses. Quantifying and adjusting for selective participation are desirable but can be challenging given the paucity of data for non-participants.
Methods
We used individual-level information from population registers to predict baseline and continued participation in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Inverse probability weights were computed from logistic regression models with elastic-net regularization. We predicted selective participation and attrition in 296 987 mothers, of whom 29% returned the first MoBa questionnaire and 12.5% returned a follow-up questionnaire 8 years later. To quantify bias, we computed sample characteristics and exposure–outcome associations in the target population and stratified samples. To compare approaches for adjusting for bias, we computed weighted sample estimates by using three sets of weights.
Results
Unweighted sample estimates were systematically different from target-population values, indicating bias due to selective participation. Baseline participation weights substantially reduced the impact of selection bias on mean values by 93% and associations by 75%. Attrition weights reduced attrition bias on mean values by 78% and associations by 50% but were less effective for reducing participation bias (22% and 14% respectively).
Conclusion
In this sample, characteristics and effect estimates are substantially different from target-population values. Participation weights were relatively effective at reducing bias due to selective participation but attrition weights were not. Estimates from studies that use attrition weights may still contain non-negligible selection bias—particularly if the baseline sample is not representative of the target population. Future studies should prioritize opportunities for deriving sampling weights for participation as well as attrition.
-
Beck, Dani; Carrick, Chloe; Aksnes, Eira Ranheim; MacSweeney, Niamh Anne; Westlye, Lars Tjelta & Fuhrmann, Delia
[Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Synchrony between brain age and internalising and externalising symptoms across adolescence.
Communications Biology.
doi:
10.1038/s42003-026-10722-x.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Abstract Adolescence is a period of rapid neurobiological and behavioural change, yet how brain maturation deviations relate to psychopathology remains unclear. Here, we show, using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, that deviations in brain age are coupled with internalising and externalising symptom development across adolescence. Combining multimodal brain age prediction across four waves (ages ~8.3–17.5) with bivariate latent growth curve models of ten symptom waves, we found coordinated nonlinear development between brain maturation and symptoms: adolescents whose brains increasingly diverged from age-expected maturation showed increasing symptoms. Effects were most consistent for internalising symptoms in females ( r = 0.15–0.23) and broader for externalising symptoms in both sexes ( r = 0.15–0.32); intercept-level associations were weaker ( r = 0.08–0.09). Sex differences were not robust after correction. Vulnerability to adolescent psychopathology appears more closely linked to changes in brain maturational tempo than to fixed differences in brain age.
-
Bø, Simen & Fluit, Sam
(2026).
Psykisk helse, partnere og politikk.
Tidsskrift for Norsk psykologforening (Psykologtidsskriftet).
ISSN 0332-6470.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Sam Fluit har forsket på sammenhengen mellom psykisk helse, selvtillit og politiske holdninger, og om partneres politiske preferanser samme…
-
Potočár, Libor; Alonso, Laura Cachón; Kozák, Michal; Rodríguez-Cano, Rubén; Formánek, Tomáš & Soest, Tilmann von
(2026).
The dynamic interplay between loneliness and health behaviors from adolescence to midlife: A Norwegian population-based cohort study.
Psychological Medicine.
ISSN 0033-2917.
56.
doi:
10.1017/s0033291726105029.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Background
Adverse health behaviors, such as physical inactivity and smoking, constitute a potential pathway connecting loneliness to poor mental and physical health. No prior study has investigated the dynamic interplay between loneliness and a broad range of health behaviors across the first half of life.
Methods
We used data from a Norwegian population-based cohort study (n = 3,072) spanning 28 years from adolescence to midlife. Applying a propensity score-based causal inference approach, we examined bidirectional prospective associations between loneliness and health behaviors, comprising alcohol use, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and physical exercise.
Results
Loneliness in adolescence was associated with lowered physical exercise (mean difference: −14.13 minutes/week, 95% CI: −26.54 to −1.72), and loneliness during young adulthood was linked to increased BMI (0.37 points, 0.12–0.63). In the reverse direction, moderate alcohol use (−0.07 SD, −0.13 to −0.01 and − 0.19 SD, −0.33 to −0.05), smoking (−0.12 SD, −0.23 to −0.01), and moderate physical exercise (−0.16 SD, −0.26 to −0.07 and − 0.07 SD, −0.14 to −0.01) during adolescence and emerging adulthood were linked to reduced loneliness. All other associations were consistent with a null effect.
Conclusions
Our results provide limited support for the causal effects of loneliness on health behaviors across the first half of life. By contrast, findings in the reverse direction suggest that health behaviors in young people – whether health-promoting or risky – are socially embedded and may facilitate socializing. To tackle youth loneliness, public health policies should promote equitable access to health-promoting behaviors.
-
Fluit, Sam; Bierwiaczonek, Kinga; Kunst, Jonas R. & Soest, Tilmann von
(2026).
The mental health–politics nexus: How mental health trajectories from adolescence to midlife shape political attitudes and voting patterns.
Political Psychology.
ISSN 0162-895X.
47(4).
doi:
10.1111/pops.70178.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Abstract With political polarization increasing, it is important to understand the development of political preferences. Previously, adolescent mental health problems have been linked to lower adulthood voting rates, while relationships between life trajectories of mental health and political attitudes and orientations remain largely underexplored. Using longitudinal data from the population‐based cohort Young in Norway ( N = 2215) spanning three decades, we examine associations between adolescent internalizing (depression, anxiety symptoms) and externalizing problems and 12 midlife political preferences. Latent class growth analysis identified three trajectories for internalizing and two for externalizing problems. Elevated levels of either problem type demonstrated significant associations with lower political and social trust in midlife. Elevated initial internalizing problems, regardless of subsequent development, were related to more left‐wing profiles. Conversely, persistently elevated externalizing problems showed associations with stronger right‐wing profiles. These findings demonstrate that mental health trajectories from adolescence into adulthood are systematically related to distinct political preferences in midlife.
-
Beck, Dani; Westlye, Lars Tjelta & Tamnes, Christian Krog
(2026).
Cardiometabolic Risk and Structural Brain Development in a Large Community-Based US Cohort.
Human Brain Mapping.
ISSN 1065-9471.
47(8).
doi:
10.1002/hbm.70575.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Krätschmer, Ilse; Hegemann, Laura Elizabeth; Hofmeister, Robin J.; Corfield, Elizabeth Claire; Mahmoudi, Mahdi & Delaneau, Olivier
[Vis alle 14 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Separating direct, indirect, and parent-of-origin genetic effects in the human population.
Cell Genomics.
6(7).
doi:
10.1016/j.xgen.2026.101277.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
We introduce JODIE, a genetic joint modeling approach that estimates how DNA loci influence human traits by partitioning genetic effects into four components: direct effects (from a child’s alleles), indirect maternal and paternal effects (from parents’ alleles), and parent-of-origin (PofO) effects (dependent on parental transmission of alleles), while uniquely accounting for assortative mating. We analyze 30,000 child-mother-father trios from the Estonian Biobank and the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort, focusing on height, body mass index, and childhood educational test scores. We find direct effects to be the largest contributor to trait variation, but combined, indirect parental and PofO effects are similarly substantial. We support our results by within-family genome-wide association testing and identify 276 independently associated DNA regions with a complex interplay between direct, indirect, and PofO effects. By joint modeling, we show that direct, indirect, and PofO effects collectively shape human phenotypic variation across loci genome-wide.
-
-
Sørensen, Lin; Hjo, Emy Camille Cornelia; Vollsund, Anna Elfrida Hovde; Flo-Groeneboom, Elisabeth; Jensen, Daniel Andre & Tømmeraas, Ane Martine
[Vis alle 11 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Emotion regulation difficulties in adults with ADHD and associations with insomnia symptoms.
Journal of Affective Disorders.
ISSN 0165-0327.
411.
doi:
10.1016/j.jad.2026.121941.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Objectives: Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently experience both emotion regulation difficulties and sleep disturbances. Although theories of insomnia and studies in non-ADHD samples suggest a link between poor emotion regulation and insomnia, this relationship is understudied in ADHD. We examined whether difficulties regulating emotions were associated with insomnia symptoms in adults with ADHD, and whether this association was moderated by gender, age (<30 or ≥30 years), or eveningness preference.
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was distributed in collaboration with the Norwegian ADHD Association. Of 1541 respondents, 1414 adults with self-reported ADHD diagnosis (81% female; ages 16–74; years, M age = 40 years) met inclusion criteria. Participants completed measures of emotion regulation, insomnia symptoms, chronotype, and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, including education level, occupational status, ADHD symptoms, depression, anxiety, substance use, medication use, and comorbid conditions.
Results: Multiple linear regression analyses showed that greater emotion regulation difficulties, especially limited access to effective regulation strategies, were associated with more insomnia symptoms. Associations remained significant after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The association between emotion regulation difficulties and more insomnia symptoms was stronger (medium effects) among emerging adults (<30 years) than older adults (small effects). No moderation effects were found for gender, age as a continuous moderator, or eveningness preference.
Conclusions: Difficulties in adaptively regulating emotional states, a common challenge in ADHD, were linked to more insomnia symptoms. These findings underscore the importance of assessing and addressing sleep disturbances in adults with ADHD, particularly among those with emotion regulation difficulties.
-
-
Brieant, Alexis; Chaku, Natasha; Beck, Dani; MacSweeney, Niamh Anne; Rakesh, Divyangana & Tamnes, Christian Krog
(2026).
Timing and tempo of puberty and neurodevelopment following adversity: A registered report.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
79.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2026.101738.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Yang, Xi; Agartz, Ingrid; Andreassen, Ole; Bachman, Peter; Baeza, Inmaculada & Bartholomeusz, Cali
[Vis alle 78 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Local chemoarchitecture explains widespread lower cortical thickness associated with clinical high risk for psychosis.
Molecular Psychiatry.
ISSN 1359-4184.
doi:
10.1038/s41380-026-03586-4.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
The Clinical High Risk (CHR) state for psychosis is consistently associated with widespread cortical thinning. However, the underlying mechanisms driving this neuroanatomical phenotype remain poorly understood. Here, we integrated the ENIGMA CHR Working Group’s large pooled dataset (N = 1782 CHR, N = 1333 healthy controls) with an open-source PET molecular atlas to identify, for the first time, potential neurochemical drivers of cortical thinning associated with psychosis risk, transition, and its core symptoms. Using multilinear model analysis, we show that local chemoarchitecture significantly explains CT differences associated with CHR case-control status, the severity of negative symptoms, and future psychosis transition after excluding medication confounds. PET-based maps of dopamine, GABA, glutamate, serotonin, and norepinephrine consistently emerged as the strongest predictors of lower CT in CHR and psychosis transition (total dominance range: 62–69% and 58–87%, respectively), with contributions of monoamine systems being especially sensitive to medication exposure (8–23% change in dominance range). Negative symptom-associated cortical thinning was best explained by PET-based maps of dopamine, histamine, serotonin and opioid systems (total dominance range: 60–81%), with contributions of histamine being sensitive to medication exposure (9–19% change in dominance range). Combined, these results uniquely identify specific neurochemical systems – particularly monoaminergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic pathways – as key molecular mechanisms associated with cortical thinning in people at high risk of developing psychosis.
-
Liu, Jinrui; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Vittersø, Joar; Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth & Røysamb, Espen
(2026).
Positively Negative: Why Negative Affect is Linked to Higher Wellbeing.
Journal of Happiness Studies.
ISSN 1389-4978.
27(5).
doi:
10.1007/s10902-026-01040-4.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Many researchers oppose the hedonic idea that wellbeing can be reduced to the maximization of positive affect (PA) and the minimization of negative affect (NA). However, few studies have investigated alternative optimal levels of affects other than maximized PA and minimized NA. This paper examines ideal levels of PA and NA, and their alignment as an alternative approach to wellbeing. Study 1 investigates people’s ideal levels of affects. In a randomized forced-choice experiment (N = 352, U.S.-based), most participants rejected a life without NA and idealized experiencing 10-13% NA and 66-80% PA across experimental conditions and two selfreported measures. Study 2 (N = 638, international sample) examines whether life satisfaction corresponds more closely to affective alignment than to affective maximization. Using piecewise regression, we found that PA was consistently and positively associated with life satisfaction. Lower NA was associated with higher life satisfaction only among those experiencing more NA than desired. For those already below their ideal NA level, further reduction was no longer related to life satisfaction. Crucially, participants whose experienced and ideal affects were aligned reported the highest life satisfaction, instead of the group with highest hedonic experience. Overall, our findings suggest that individuals feel most satisfied when their experience aligns with their ideal, rather than when maximizing hedonic experience. Furthermore, the alignment is more linked to life satisfaction than to wisdom or personal growth. All in all, maximizing PA and minimizing NA are neither desired nor associated with the highest life satisfaction.
-
Ferschmann, Lia; Dobbelaar, Simone; Tamnes, Christian Krog; Tsotsi, Stella; Toenders, Yara Jo & MacSweeney, Niamh Anne
(2026).
Longitudinal Associations Between Pubertal Development and Youth Behavioral Adjustment in the Context of Parent and Peer Relationships.
Social Development.
ISSN 0961-205X.
35(3).
doi:
10.1111/sode.70068.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Schubert, Henrik Alexander; Spoorenberg, Thomas; Dudel, Christian & Skirbekk, Vegard Fykse
(2026).
Masculinization of populations reverses sex differences in fertility.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).
ISSN 0027-8424.
123(17).
doi:
10.1073/pnas.2533317123.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Widding-Havnerås, Tarjei; Demange, Perline Aline Delle; Zachrisson, Henrik Daae; Borgen, Nicolai; Ystrøm, Eivind & Elwert, Felix
(2026).
Estimating returns to education using the genetic lottery.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).
ISSN 0027-8424.
123(15),
s. 1–10.
doi:
10.1073/pnas.2537049123.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Does more schooling cause higher lifetime earnings? Social scientists have long sought to determine the economic returns to schooling given its importance to individual life chances and public policy. Prior estimates are limited by unobserved confounding in observational studies and the focus of popular quasi-experimental studies on increases in schooling at only one particular age. Genotyped data offer an opportunity to address unobserved confounding and to estimate the returns to an additional year of schooling at any age by using quasi-randomly assigned genetic variants related to education as instrumental variables [Mendelian randomization (MR)]. We analyze comprehensive Norwegian population registries with career-long earnings data and genotyped data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). We employ three identification strategies for triangulation: ordinary least squares (OLS) with covariate-adjustment, sibling and twin fixed-effects models, and MR. Estimated returns to schooling are 8.0% in MR (N = 109,800) and 6.3% in sibling-MR (N = 18,666). Extensive sensitivity analyses suggest that MR results are robust even to large potential violations of MR assumptions, including pleiotropy. MR estimates somewhat higher returns than OLS for the full population (5.9%, N = 1,255,604) and fixed-effects models for siblings (5.3%, N = 966,976) or monozygotic twins (3.2%, N = 2,630). The estimated internal rate of return to schooling exceeds opportunity costs of education as proxied by the market interest rate. The lifetime returns to schooling are positive and substantial across all models.
-
Chegeni, Razieh; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ayorech, Ziada; Ystrøm, Eivind & Røysamb, Espen
(2026).
Direct and indirect parental genetic effects on offspring susceptibility to internalizing problems across development.
Nature Mental Health.
4,
s. 754–765.
doi:
10.1038/s44220-026-00619-3.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Internalizing problems, including symptoms of anxiety and depression, are common in childhood and adolescence and are linked to adverse long-term outcomes. Although both child genetic variants and parental genetic influences contribute to these problems, the specific direct (child) and indirect (parental) genetic pathways involved remain unclear. We applied multi-polygenic score models using elastic net regression to identify key genetic predictors of depressive and anxiety symptoms at ages 8 and 14 in 9,314 parent–child trios from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study. We included 90 polygenic scores (PGSs) for the trio, along with their respective interaction terms. Predictive accuracy improved with age, with models explaining up to 2.7% of the variance in depression and 1.2% in anxiety. Key predictors included child attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cognitive skills and well-being spectrum PGSs; maternal PGSs for smoking and cognitive skills; and paternal well-being spectrum PGSs. These findings underscore the value of incorporating diverse parental genetic traits to understand intergenerational risk transmission and developmental changes in child mental health.
-
Gurholt, Tiril Pedersen; Beck, Dani; Voldsbekk, Irene; Parker, Nadine; Askeland-Gjerde, Daniel E. & Lange, Ann-Marie Glasø de
[Vis alle 13 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Linking obesity with white matter microstructure highlights the importance of brainstem tracts and sex differences.
Brain Communications.
8(1),
s. 1–15.
doi:
10.1093/braincomms/fcag026.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
While obesity (body mass index ≥ 30) has been consistently associated with white matter diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phenotypes, the contributions of common obesity phenotypes on various diffusion metrics, and the moderating effects of sex and age, require further clarification. This study aims to elucidate these body–brain connections to enhance our understanding of the comorbid link between obesity and body anthropometrics and the brain using a large-scale dataset. We analysed cross-sectional data from 40 040 participants from the UK Biobank (52.2% female; ages 44–83 years) using multiple linear regression to evaluate how obesity and body anthropometrics relate to regional white matter diffusion tensor imaging metrics (fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, radial diffusivity, mean diffusivity). We also examined interactions with age and sex. Our analyses revealed significant associations between individual obesity phenotypes (i.e. obesity and body anthropometrics) and diffusion tensor imaging metrics of small effects, with partial correlation coefficient |r| effect sizes ranging from 0.02 to 0.20 for most regions of interest with largest effects in brainstem tracts. We observed more widespread sex-by-obesity phenotypes than age-by-obesity phenotypes interaction effects on diffusion tensor imaging metrics. Our results link obesity and body anthropometrics with white matter phenotypes and suggests that shared body fat-related pathways link physical and brain health that may vary based on sex and age. Understanding these body–brain relationships, and the role of age and sex, could enhance the development and evaluation of targeted, personalized, treatment strategies for brain disorders that co-occur with obesity, although further longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to map the causal dynamics of these associations.
-
Ofstad, Sverre Berg; Tan, Tony & Andersson, Björn
(2026).
Comparing the difficulty of elective subjects in high school using a population-based Norwegian registry.
Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research.
ISSN 0031-3831.
doi:
10.1080/00313831.2026.2648976.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
When grade point averages (GPAs) are used for admission into tertiary education, there is an implicit assumption that any two identical GPAs convey the same level of academic competency. However, this assumption does not hold when students are free to choose elective subjects and there are differences in their difficulty and dimensionality. In this study, we utilized item response theory to examine dimensionality and difficulty of 11 elective subjects in Norwegian high school, while accounting for self-selection bias, using data from 21,666 third year students. Our results show that the GPA is best represented as a multidimensional construct. Additionally, we demonstrate that the selection bias in observed subject grade averages for electives conceals considerable differences in difficulty levels. Hence, the GPA of Norwegian high school students does not only reflect academic competency but also the decisions made regarding which elective subjects to take.
-
Pettersen, Johanne Hagen; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Hegemann, Laura Elizabeth; Hannigan, Laurie; Lund, Ingunn Olea & Johannessen, Pia Myklebust
[Vis alle 12 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Intra-familial dynamics of mental distress during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Translational Psychiatry.
16(1),
s. 1–9.
doi:
10.1038/s41398-026-03876-z.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Lockdowns and social restrictions imposed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic intensified the proximity and reciprocal exposure among members of nuclear families. It is unclear how variation in mental distress during this period is attributed to potential influences of family members. This study used genetic data from adolescents (n = 4 388), mothers (n = 27 852) and fathers (n = 25 953), to disentangle the contributions of parent-driven, child-driven, and partner-driven components to mental distress during the first two months of the Covid-19 lockdown. Separate models also included adolescents’ non-pandemic mental distress as outcomes (n = 13 484). Trio genome-wide complex trait analyses separated two types of genetic components; direct–how an individual’s genotype is associated with their own mental distress, and indirect–how an individual’s genotype is associated with the mental distress of family members. A trio polygenic score (PGS) design was used to investigate associations of specific genetic liability factors with mental distress, and whether these changed over time (PGS×time). Results suggest that family-level genetic factors contribute to mental distress; variance components capturing indirect genetic effects accounted for 10% of adolescent mental distress (mother-driven), 2–3% of maternal (partner-driven), and 5% of paternal mental distress (child-driven). Mothers’ depression and ADHD PGS were positively associated with fathers’ mental distress. No PGS×time interactions were found. Direct genetic effects accounted for 9–10% variance in mental distress across family members, partly explained by genetic variants associated with anxiety, depression, ADHD and neuroticism. These findings highlight the importance of family dynamics and emphasize the potential value of including family members in mental health interventions.
-
-
-
Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth; Deserno, Marie K.; Liu, Jinrui; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Røysamb, Espen & Vittersø, Joar
[Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Beyond the borders of wellbeing: network analyses reveal the fuzzy boundaries between wellbeing domains.
Journal of Positive Psychology.
ISSN 1743-9760.
doi:
10.1080/17439760.2026.2651077.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Understanding what constitutes a good life is central to psychological research, yet wellbeing models remain contested with respect to their structure and borders. We employ a network approach to investigate how wellbeing dimensions interrelate and whether they form distinct or overlapping constructs. Using a large, population-based sample from the European Social Survey (N = 45,122; 29 countries), we identified strong links between a broad range of wellbeing indicators across different theoretical domains. Community detection revealed six empirical clusters that partially align with existing distinctions (e.g. hedonic versus eudaimonic wellbeing). However, we also identified 11 indicators belonging to multiple clusters, demonstrating the fuzzy boundaries between wellbeing domains. These results highlight the need for integrative frameworks that better capture the interconnected nature of wellbeing. Our findings encourage more granular analyses and underscore the need for comprehensive measurement tools to advance wellbeing research, inform policy, and guide public health efforts.
-
Qin, Qi; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Eilertsen, Espen Moen & Ystrom, Eivind
(2026).
Children's psychological traits and educational performance: How schools and residential areas moderate how individual traits translate into academic outcomes.
JCPP Advances.
s. 1–15.
doi:
10.1002/jcv2.70100.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Abstract Background The extent to which children's psychological traits influence their educational performance is thought to depend on the fit between the individual and their developmental context. However, this assumption has yet to be empirically tested on a population scale. This study examines how neurodevelopmental, mental health, and personality traits interact with latent environmental contexts to enhance, maintain, or mitigate their educational performance. Methods Using the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), we estimated the association between 16 developmental traits and grade point average (GPA) in 26,875 children across environmental contexts in 2131 primary schools, 1075 middle schools, ~14,000 neighborhoods, 1471 districts, and 347 municipalities. Results Across the developmental traits, the effect on GPA ranged from −0.286 to 0.220. However, these effects varied substantially across environmental contexts (SD 0.022 to 0.090). Trait‐by‐context interactions were detected in primary schools (2 traits), middle schools (6 traits), neigbourhoods (0 traits), districts (3 traits), and municipalities (1 trait), respectively. Moderation magnitudes were largest for neurodevelopmental traits in primary schools. On average, the effects of ADHD and communication difficulties were −0.252 and −0.193. However, these effects differed substantially across primary schools with SD 0.090 and 0.070, implying b < −0.370 and b < −0.282 in 10% of schools. For average children, primary schools explained 0.504% of middle school GPA. Similarly, the effect of depression and extraversion was dependent on middle‐school environments ( b = −0.128; SD = 0.058 and b = 0.024; SD = 0.022). Moreover, schools and districts with high GPAs tended to express lower detrimental effects on children's developmental traits. Conclusion Schools and residential areas function as educational catalysts, enhancing or mitigating the influence of developmental traits. High‐performing environments compensate for psychological challenges, whereas lower‐performing contexts exacerbate difficulties. Because the study integrated multiple traits and contextual levels, the analyses were exploratory and data‐driven, and the findings should be interpreted as hypothesis‐generating. These results suggest a need for both context‐sensitive and individually tailored educational interventions.
-
Valstad, Mathias; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Ayorech, Ziada; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Demange, Perline Aline Delle & Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem
[Vis alle 8 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Indirect genetic effects of siblings.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
ISSN 0021-9630.
doi:
10.1111/jcpp.70130.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Background
Within-family designs are increasingly used to decompose genotype–trait associations into direct and indirect genetic effects. Many such designs, including trio designs or within-sibship designs, assume an absence of sibling indirect genetic effects.
Methods
We expand two well-known molecular genetic within-family designs, one variance component (genome-based restricted maximum likelihood) and one trait-based (structural equation modeling with polygenic indices), to estimate sibling indirect genetic effects, along with direct genetic effects. We link the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) to Norway's national education database to model genetic effects on national standardized testing results at ages 10, 13, and 14, and on parent-rated attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms at ages 3 and 8 in up to 15,971 genotyped and phenotyped siblings.
Results
Estimates of direct and indirect genetic effects from the genome-based restricted maximum likelihood and the structural equation modeling with polygenic indices approaches converge, albeit with the variance component estimates typically an order of magnitude greater than the trait-based estimates. We observe no indirect genetic effects of siblings on educational performance at any age, and only slightly negative indirect genetic effects of siblings on ADHD symptoms at age 3. We argue that the latter effect might reflect parental contrasting ratings.
Conclusions
The results suggest that within-family models of educational performance are unlikely to be drastically biased by an assumption of absent sibling indirect genetic effects. Combining trait-based analyses with variance component analyses can benefit understanding of indirect genetic effects, especially when the effects are not specific to a particular mechanism.
-
-
Borren, Ingrid; Fruyt, Filip De; Bølstad, Evalill; Torvik, Fartein Ask; Røysamb, Espen & Gustavson, Kristin
(2026).
Development of Negative Emotionality in Mothers Across 18 Years: Does Relationship Breakup Matter?
Journal of Personality.
ISSN 0022-3506.
s. 1–14.
doi:
10.1111/jopy.70064.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Introduction Negative emotionality (NE) tends to decrease with age. However, we lack information about how divorce and other social role experiences predict long‐term development of NE in women after the transition to parenthood. Methods The current study used data from an 18‐year longitudinal study with eight data collection waves, including 823 mothers living with their child's father at baseline. Mixed models and Random Intercept Cross‐Lagged Panel Models were run. Results NE decreased over the 18‐year study period. The decline was steeper among mothers who were no longer in the relationship with the child's father at the end of the study period compared to mothers who stayed in that relationship. Mothers who broke up from a relationship with relatively high problem levels showed the steepest decline. Having four or more children living in the household was associated with less decrease in NE, probably due to initial low NE levels. Not living with a partner predicted temporarily elevated NE levels among mothers. Conclusion Decrease in NE among mothers is not entirely dependent on particular social role experiences or transitions. However, some experiences moderate the magnitude of this decrease, suggesting interrelatedness between decline in NE and social roles among mothers.
-
Johannessen, Pia Myklebust; Madsen, Christian; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Lund, Ingunn Olea; Pettersen, Johanne Hagen & Gustavson, Kristin
[Vis alle 10 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Protective factors for maternal mental health and life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal analysis.
BMJ Open.
16(1),
s. 1–11.
doi:
10.1136/bmjopen-2025-110204.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Objective Mothers’ mental health and life satisfaction may have been negatively affected due to challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the risk of future crises, knowledge of possible mitigating factors in this population is essential. This study aims to examine whether the pandemic affected the level of protective factors such as social support, physical activity and employment situation, and how these factors are associated with mental distress and life satisfaction. Design Longitudinal cohort study. Outcome measures Primary outcomes were mental distress (measured by the eight-item version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist) and life satisfaction (measured by the Satisfaction With Life Scale). As the first step, we investigated changes in the levels of social support (defined by the number and frequency of social contact), physical activity (average hours of physical activity during a week), employment situation (actively working vs sick leave or unemployed), alcohol consumption (measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption) and relationship satisfaction (measured by the five-item version of the Relationship Satisfaction Scale). Methods We analysed data from two waves of the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (n=~18 000 mothers); one pre-pandemic wave and one wave where half of the sample responded after the onset of the pandemic, with pandemic exposure being defined by questionnaire response timing rather than cohort recruitment. To assess changes in protective factors over time and pandemic exposure, we used difference-in-differences analyses and regression discontinuity design. Associations between protective factors with mental distress and life satisfaction, and possible moderation by pandemic exposure, were investigated using multiple regression models with interaction terms adjusted for potential confounders. Results Apart from physical activity, which declined less across time in the pandemic group (B=0.09, 99% CI 0.05 to 0.12), protective factors did not change during the pandemic. Social support, employment situation and relationship satisfaction were associated with mental distress and life satisfaction, whereas physical activity showed a unique relationship with mental distress. Most associations were similar across pandemic exposure groups, except employment situation which appeared to have a stronger protective effect in the pandemic group (β=−0.12, 99% CI −0.24 to −0.00). Conclusions Changes over time in self-reported levels of protective factors were generally consistent among mothers independent of the pandemic. These factors appear to play an equally important role for mental distress and life satisfaction both under ordinary circumstances and during public health crises. Our findings enhance the understanding of how potential protective factors among mothers are associated with mental distress and life satisfaction in the context of a global stressor. Future studies should investigate additional mitigating factors that may be particularly relevant during global crises and explore the causal relationship between protective factors, mental health and life satisfaction.
-
Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ayorech, Ziada; Ebeltoft, Joakim Coleman & Sunde, Hans Fredrik
[Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Multivariate maternal effects across the internalizing–externalizing spectrum in childhood: results from the Norwegian mother, father, and child cohort study.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
ISSN 0021-9630.
s. 1–13.
doi:
10.1111/jcpp.70111.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Background From a functionalist perspective, parenting behaviors have adaptive functions and are partly expressions of genetic variation. Maternal genes that have effects on children are often referred to as indirect maternal genetic effects. Indirect genetic effects provide a means for measuring the role of parenting without the need for specifying the relevant parental behaviors. We studied indirect maternal genetic effects to address both the importance and commonality of parenting across the internalizing–externalizing spectrum of behavior problems in childhood. We further addressed how indirect genetic effects impact our understanding of direct genetic effects if not accounted for. Methods Utilizing data from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), our analyses involved 42,423 children and their mothers. Both pedigree and genotype data were used to infer genetic relationships. We applied multivariate latent variable models to distinguish indirect maternal genetic effects and direct offspring genetic effects on seven measures of internalizing–externalizing behaviors. Results Our findings indicate significant maternal genetic influences, explaining 7%–18% of the variance across internalizing–externalizing behaviors. A general maternal effect common across behaviors could adequately account for most of the variability. The analyses further indicate that direct child genetic effects appear smaller and more complex when indirect maternal genetic effects are modeled simultaneously. Conclusions By summarizing the effects of parenting with indirect maternal genetic effects, we show a substantial contribution of parents with respect to internalizing–externalizing behaviors in childhood. Although parenting is multifaceted, the effects of parenting are general and can succinctly be described as a single common dimension. Further, our study demonstrates that direct genetic effects appear smaller and more complex when maternal genetic effects are accounted for, highlighting the confounding potential of parental effects in understanding the role of genetic differences in child psychopathology.
-
Severinsen, Yvonne; Ystrom, Eivind; Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem; Nygaard, Egil; Bekkhus, Mona & Viana, Karine Porpino
[Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Determinants of Parental Emotion Socialization Behaviors: Insights From a Large‐Scale Population‐Based Family Study.
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology.
ISSN 0036-5564.
67(4),
s. 953–971.
doi:
10.1111/sjop.70082.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
ABSTRACT Parental emotion socialization behaviors (ESBs) are essential for child development and are typically understood as influenced by factors related to three domains: the parent, the child, and the family context. However, it remains unclear how parents' childhood experiences with ESBs should be represented within these conceptual frameworks. Addressing the complexity of ESBs, the present study examined predictors across three theoretically derived domains and additionally included parents' recollected ESBs as a parent‐level factor. Questionnaire data were collected from a large population‐based cohort of Norwegian mothers and fathers ( n = 4207; 2460 mothers) with children aged 3 to 13 years ( M = 7.4 years). Supportive and non‐supportive ESBs were examined separately through hierarchical regression models incorporating parent, context, and child factors. The three domains collectively accounted for 28% of the variance in supportive ESBs and 29% in non‐supportive ESBs. The results clearly emphasized parental factors, with parent gender and recollected ESBs being the most influential predictors. Other parent factors, such as perceived parenting stress, alcohol use, and the personality traits agreeableness and openness, also showed unique effects across both types of ESBs. Among contextual factors, education, income, and country of birth predicted non‐supportive ESBs but not supportive ESBs. Child age and birth order were linked with supportive ESBs, whereas only child age predicted non‐supportive ESBs. Findings highlight the importance of parent characteristics, particularly gender and recollected emotion socialization from the family of origin, in predicting current parental ESBs beyond contextual and child‐related factors.
-
Svendsrud, Hedvig; Bekkhus, Mona; Lund, Olaf; Shai, Dana; Spencer, Rose & Smith, Lars
[Vis alle 10 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Does expectant fathers' attachment style or depressive mood relate to their embodied mentalizing capacity of their 12-month-old infant?
Acta Psychologica.
ISSN 0001-6918.
263,
s. 1–12.
doi:
10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106224.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Parental embodied mentalizing is about how parents show with their body that they hold in mind their infants' mind. The main study's aim was to explore what influences fathers' embodied mentalizing. A random sample of 200 fathers and their 12-month-old infants were drawn from a large longitudinal, population-based dataset, the "Little in Norway (LiN)" study. Fathers' partner related attachment style was assessed at enrollment, symptoms of depression were measured four times during pregnancy and at 12 months postpartum, as was also parenting stress. Videotaped father-infant interactions were coded with the Parental Embodied Mentalizing Assessment (PEMA). Results showed that fathers of girls were demonstrating a higher capacity for embodied mentalizing compared to fathers of boys. There were no direct effects of prenatal depressive symptoms or attachment style on fathers embodied mentalizing, suggesting that lower levels of attachment insecurity and depressive symptoms do not necessarily compromise fathers' capacity for embodied mentalizing. However, depressive symptoms during pregnancy increased the likelihood of postpartum depressive symptoms and parenting stress. In combination, these increased risks were related to poorer embodied mentalizing in fathers. This suggests that being depressed both during pregnancy and when the infant is 12 months, as well as experiencing stress in the parenting role, may be risk factors for compromised embodied mentalizing.
-
Nerland, Stener; Barth, Claudia; Jørgensen, Kjetil Nordbø; Bakke, Laura Anne Wortinger; Castro-Fornieles, Josefina & Díaz-Caneja, Covadonga M.
[Vis alle 44 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Cerebral cortical alterations in adolescent early-onset psychosis: a surface-based morphometry mega-analysis.
Molecular Psychiatry.
ISSN 1359-4184.
doi:
10.1038/s41380-026-03641-0.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Abstract Cortical brain morphology in early-onset psychosis (EOP; age of onset < 19 years) is poorly understood, partly due to recruitment constraints linked to its low incidence. We pooled T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 387 adolescents with EOP (mean age=16.1±1.5; 49.6% female) and 338 healthy controls (CTR; mean age=15.8±1.9, 54.4% female) from nine research sites worldwide. Using harmonized processing protocols with FreeSurfer, we extracted cortical brain metrics from 34 bilateral regions. Univariate regression analysis revealed widespread lower bilateral cortical thickness (left/right hemisphere: d =-0.36/-0.31), surface area (left/right: d =-0.42/-0.41), cortical volume (left/right: d =-0.58/-0.56), and Local Gyrification Index (LGI; left/right: d =-0.39/-0.52) in EOP relative to CTR. Subgroup analyses showed broader and more pronounced case-control differences in early-onset schizophrenia for area, volume, and LGI. We found no associations with antipsychotic medication use, illness duration, age of onset, or positive symptoms. Negative symptoms were related to smaller left lingual volumes (partial r =-0.21; p FDR =0.014) and antidepressant users had smaller area ( d =-0.43; p FDR =0.034) and volume ( d =-0.50; p FDR =0.003) of the right rostral anterior cingulate compared to non-users. Cortical alterations in EOP showed a similar pattern to those observed in prior studies on adults with schizophrenia (SCZ; r =0.62) and bipolar disorders (BD; r =0.61). However, surface area alterations were overall 1.5 times greater for EOP than adult SCZ and 4.6 times greater than adult BD. In the largest study of its kind, we observed an extensive pattern of cortical alterations in adolescents with psychotic disorders, highlighting the potential impact of aberrant neurodevelopment on cortical morphology in this clinical group.
-
Ebeltoft, Joakim Coleman; Ystrøm, Eivind; Ayorech, Ziada & Eilertsen, Espen Moen
(2026).
Parental wealth and mental disorders in Norway (2006–2023): a nationwide registry-based study of 1.4 million young people.
The Lancet Regional Health - Europe.
62.
doi:
10.1016/j.lanepe.2025.101567.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Background Young people from families with low socioeconomic position have higher rates of mental disorders. However, wealth is underexamined despite large wealth inequity worldwide. Here, we aim to investigate the relationship between early life parental wealth and mental disorders in young Norwegians.
Methods We conducted a population study of associations between early-life parental wealth and 17 diagnostic categories of mental disorders in 1.4 M children (7–12), adolescents (13–18), and young adults (19–24) observed 2006–2023. Ranked parental socioeconomic indicators at age 0–6 (wealth, income, occupation, and education) and mental disorder diagnoses (ICD-10 and ICPC-2) were obtained from Norwegian Tax, Employment, Education, and Control and Payment of Health Reimbursements registries. Estimates were derived from mean prevalences, generalised estimating equations, and sibling comparison designs.
Findings Parental wealth represents a gradient in young people’s mental disorders across age, sex, diagnostic categories, and cohorts. The lowest wealth quintile demonstrated 87% [95% CI = 78–96%] higher 1-year prevalence than the highest quintile. In multivariable analyses, parental wealth was the strongest predictor of mental disorders relative risk in adolescents (1.83 [1.76–1.9]) and young adults (1.92 [1.8–2.04]), while wealth (1.53 [1.46–1.6]) and education (1.52 [1.45–1.6]) were the strongest predictors in children. Parental wealth has a significant within-family association with mental disorders (relative risks: children 1.57 [1.44–1.71], adolescents 1.34 [1.26–1.42], young adults 1.42 [1.31–1.54]).
Interpretation Our study serves as a point of reference for understanding the relationship between parental wealth and mental health. Our findings establish early life parental wealth as a fundamental social gradient in young people’s mental disorders.
-
-
Chegeni, Razieh; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ayorech, Ziada Ng'ombo Laurel; Ystrøm, Eivind & Røysamb, Espen
(2026).
Parental direct and indirect genetic effects on offsprings’ internalizing problems across development.
Nature Mental Health.
doi:
https:/www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6862539/v1.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Internalizing problems are common in youth and linked to adverse long-term outcomes. While both children’s own genetic variants (direct genetic effects) and the genetics of their parents (indirect genetic effects) contribute, the direct and indirect genetic traits involved remain unclear. Here, w...
-
Potočár, Libor; Cachón-Alonso, L; Kozák, Michal; Rodríguez-Cano, Rubén; Formánek, T & Soest, Tilmann von
(2025).
The interplay between loneliness and health factors from adolescence to midlife: a cohort study.
European Journal of Public Health.
ISSN 1101-1262.
35(Supplement 4).
doi:
10.1093/eurpub/ckaf161.1152.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
There is growing evidence of adverse health outcomes among lonely individuals, with health behaviors representing one potential underlying mechanism. However, existing research overlooked the potential gender-specific dynamic interplay of health behaviors and loneliness across the first decades of life. In this Norwegian 28-year prospective cohort study (n = 3,072) from adolescence to midlife, we investigated reciprocal relationships between loneliness and health factors, including alcohol use, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, and physical exercise. Using a structural nested mean modeling approach with G-estimation, we accounted for a comprehensive set of baseline and time-varying confounders. We demonstrated that increased loneliness among adolescent males diminished subsequent physical exercise and that elevated loneliness during adolescence and/or young adulthood was linked to a subsequent increase in BMI among both males and females. The remaining loneliness-health behavior relationships were consistent with a null effect. Considering the effect of health factors on loneliness, physical exercise in adolescent males decreased subsequent loneliness, whereas obesity among females during young adulthood was linked to an increase in loneliness. In summary, except for a loneliness-physical exercise interplay in adolescent males and a loneliness-BMI interplay in females, our results provide limited support for gender-specific reciprocal relationships between loneliness and health factors across the first decades of life.
-
Nygaard, Egil
(2025).
OSF project preregistration: HeaLS - Effects of the implementation of the interdisciplinary topic "Health and life skills" in schools.
Open Science Framework (OSF).
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Braithwaite, Elizabeth C.; Haftorn, Kristine Løkås; Oftedal, Aurora; Ayorech, Ziada; Kaasen, Anne & Murgatroyd, Christopher
[Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2025).
Associations between lifetime history of depression, prenatal OXTR DNA methylation and breastfeeding outcomes.
Clinical Epigenetics.
18(1),
s. 1–12.
doi:
10.1186/s13148-025-02030-8.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Abstract Background Women with depression are less likely to breastfeed and experience more breastfeeding challenges. Potential biological mechanisms that link maternal depression with poor breastfeeding outcomes have not been investigated. This study examined associations between lifetime history of depression (LHD), prenatal oxytocin receptor gene ( OXTR ) DNA methylation, and breastfeeding outcomes. Results Longitudinal observational data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) were analysed (N = 3607). LHD was self-reported during pregnancy (week 15). Blood samples were collected at 16–18 weeks of pregnancy, and DNA methylation was measured using the Illumina Methylation EPIC BeadChip 850 K array. This array includes 22 CpG sites on the OXTR gene, which were used in analyses. Mothers self-reported breastfeeding initiation (breastmilk given to child in first month), breastfeeding maintenance (breastmilk given to child for 6 months or more) and breastfeeding problems. Maternal LHD was not associated with OXTR DNA methylation. There was some evidence that prenatal OXTR DNA methylation was associated with breastfeeding outcomes. There was an association between CpG cg26455676 and breastfeeding maintenance to 6 months (odds ratio = 1.59, 95% confidence intervals = 1.11–2.27, raw p = 0.01, adjusted p = 0.04). Higher levels of DNA methylation at CpG cg26455676 was associated with a greater likelihood of maintaining breastfeeding to 6 months. Conclusions This highly novel study highlights the intriguing possibility that maternal prenatal DNA methylation at genes important for breastfeeding may be associated with breastfeeding experiences. Further understanding of vastly differing breastfeeding experiences would assist with the targeting efforts to support breastfeeding women, particularly those who are vulnerable, such as mothers who have depression.
-
Eilertsen, Maja; Hansen, Thomas; Torre, Maria Julia Bidonde; Reneflot, Anne; Nilsen, Thomas Sevenius & Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi
[Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2025).
Effects of Positive Psychology Interventions on Inflammatory Biomarkers and Cortisol: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology.
ISSN 2364-5040.
10(4),
s. 1–33.
doi:
10.1007/s41042-025-00258-6.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Abstract There is growing interest in how well-being-enhancing activities influence stress and health. Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) foster such activities, but evidence regarding their physiological effects remains fragmented. This review aimed to examine the effects of PPIs on two physiological indicators of stress via a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of PPIs on inflammatory biomarkers and/or cortisol in adult clinical and non-clinical populations. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Epistemonikos, and clinical trial registries (from January 2000 to June 2023). Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Random-effects meta-analyses using robust variance estimation accounted for statistical dependencies. Effects were reported as Cohen’s d with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and heterogeneity as prediction intervals (PIs). Twenty-five RCTs ( N = 1,641) were included. Common PPIs included music, nature exposure, gratitude, optimism, kindness, and meaning-focused activities. The overall effect was d = 0.39 (95% CI: 0.16, 0.62). The effect estimates were significant for inflammatory biomarkers ( d = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.89), but not for cortisol ( d = 0.30, 95% CI: − 0.10, 0.71). A significant effect was observed in clinical groups ( d = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.17, 1.04); the effect in non-clinical groups was non-significant ( d = 0.23, 95% CI: − 0.01, 0.79). High heterogeneity and risk of bias warrant cautious interpretation. These findings suggest that PPIs may reduce inflammatory biomarkers. The clinical relevance of these effects remains uncertain and warrants further investigation, particularly in relation to long-term outcomes. Registration : The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023438736).
-
Berger, Eirik Jerven & Bakken, Silje Anderdal
(2025).
A digital–physical continuum of illegal drug markets: Networks, trust, and culture.
Acta Sociologica.
ISSN 0001-6993.
doi:
10.1177/00016993251356344.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Social relationships are a fundamental part of illegal drug markets. However, drug market categorizations, such as online/offline, open/closed, and public/private, overshadow the everyday purchase and sale of illegal drugs. Highlighting the significance of social relationships reveals the complexity and fluidity of real-life drug market activities. By using the economic sociological theory, we bridge the gap between online and offline drug market research by merging two datasets of qualitative interviews, focusing on Norway's physical and online drug markets. Combined the data consist of in-depth interviews with 100 market participants. We find that market relationships vary on a continuum between being fully digital to fully physical. Moreover, participants’ positions on this continuum are not fixed on one market category. Individuals’ participation is determined by several interconnected factors, including social networks, risk and trust, and drug and street culture. Hence, despite technological advancements and new possibilities, the purchase and sale of illegal drugs take place on a digital–physical continuum determined by social and relational factors.
-
Hofgaard, Live Skow; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Vassend, Olav Mandt; Ayorech, Ziada; Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi & Røysamb, Espen
(2025).
Mental illbeing and wellbeing are influenced by recent adverse life events. Evidence from a longitudinal twin study.
Current Psychology.
ISSN 1046-1310.
44,
s. 8723–8735.
doi:
10.1007/s12144-025-07758-3.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Adverse life events have been associated with increased mental illbeing and decreased wellbeing. These associations may partly reflect reverse causality and confounding genetics. Few studies have accounted for such effects, and few have compared the effect of adversities within and across different mental health outcomes. Our sample includes 1987 monozygotic and dizygotic twins born 1945-60, in the Norwegian Twin Registry, who responded to two questionnaires six years apart. We used biometric modelling to estimate genetic overlap and linear mixed models to control for previous levels of illbeing and wellbeing as well as genetic confounding in the associations between adverse life events and these outcomes. Our results indicate causal effects of cumulative adversity on increased illbeing and decreased wellbeing. Of the six adversities examined separately, financial strain and conflicts in romantic relationships showed the most profound effect on both outcomes. Conflicts with family/friends/neighbours and problems at work seem to primarily increase illbeing, while serious illness or injury mainly decrease wellbeing. This study supports previous findings that cumulative adversity represents a risk for increased illbeing and decreased wellbeing. Hence, exploring the number of recent adverse events could give valuable insight into individuals’ stressor load, and the reduction and prevention of such events should be important targets for preventive programs and policy. Importantly, our findings further suggest that the events that increase illbeing are not always overlapping with those that decrease wellbeing. This should be taken into consideration when assessing the needs of individuals after difficult experiences.
-
-
Liu, Siwei; Agartz, Ingrid; Allen, Paul; Amminger, G. Paul; Andreassen, Ole & Bachman, Peter
[Vis alle 113 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2025).
Structural covariance network topology in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis: the ENIGMA-CHR Study.
Molecular Psychiatry.
ISSN 1359-4184.
doi:
10.1038/s41380-025-03304-6.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Brain network architecture is anticipated to influence future grey matter loss in individuals at Clinical High Risk (CHR) for psychosis. However, existing studies on grey matter structural network properties in CHR are scarce and constrained by small sample sizes. Here, we examined network topology differences comparing a) CHR versus healthy controls (HC); b) CHR who transitioned to psychosis (CHR-T) versus those who did not (CHR-NT); and c) different subsyndromes. We included structural scans from 1842 CHR individuals and 1417 HC individuals from 31 sites within the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) consortium. At the global level, CHR individuals exhibited lower structural covariance (q < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.164) and less optimal structural network configuration than HC (lower global efficiency and clustering coefficient, d = 0.100,0.087, qs <= 0.027). Though no global difference between CHR-T and CHR-NT, network distinctiveness of the frontal and temporal surface area networks was higher in CHR-T than CHR-NT (d = 0.223,0.237) and HC (d = 0.208,0.219) (qs < 0.001). Network distinctiveness of the frontal cortical thickness network was lower in CHR-T (d = 0.218, q < 0.001) than CHR-NT and HC (d = 0.165, q < 0.001). Importantly, higher network distinctiveness was associated with worse positive symptoms in CHR-NT (frontal surface area, q = 0.008, R2 = 0.013) and at trend with worse negative symptoms in CHR-T (frontal thickness, q = 0.063, R2 = 0.049). Further, the brief intermittent psychotic syndrome subgroup showed more severe network alterations. Together, brain structural networks inform symptoms and the risk of transition to psychosis in CHR individuals.
-
Krogsrud, Stine Kleppe; Nordeng, Hedvig Marie Egeland; Roe, James Michael; Torkildsen, Janne von Koss; Wood, Mollie Elizabeth & Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Associations between prenatal paracetamol exposure and brain development from ages 4–16: A longitudinal MRI study.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
78.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101667.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Research has raised concerns regarding the potential impact of prenatal paracetamol exposure on fetal neurodevelopment. This is the first longitudinal study to investigate whether such exposure is related to structural brain development and cognitive abilities during childhood and adolescence. The sample includes 447 children aged 4.1–16.2 years with 905 MRI scans. The study is based on The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Study (MoBa), and uses data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. The exposure variable is mothers’ self-reported use of paracetamol from prenatal and postnatal questionnaires. Among 447 children (229 girls; mean age 8.38 years), 193 (43.2 %) were prenatally exposed. Days of exposure range from 1 to 128 (mean 8.2). Vertex-wise linear mixed effect models showed that exposed children (n = 193; 393 scans) had slightly smaller cortical surface area and volume in some regions compared to non-exposed children. These results were seemingly driven by long-term exposed children (≥14 days in utero; n = 35; 72 scans, and exposed in all three trimesters, n = 21; 44 scans). However, group differences in brain structure were small with largely overlapping distributions, and the observational design and risk of unmeasured confounding preclude causal inference. Thus, the clinical significance remains uncertain. For cognitive abilities, results were reassuring showing no significant effect of prenatal paracetamol exposure on working memory capacity or IQ scores.
-
Zugic, Milica; Trinh, Nhung; Rostami, Sina; Nordeng, Hedvig Marie Egeland; Ystrøm, Eivind & Bulik, Cynthia M
[Vis alle 10 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2025).
Antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms in women with eating disorders who continue or discontinue antidepressant treatment in pregnancy.
Journal of Affective Disorders Reports.
22,
s. 1–10.
doi:
10.1016/j.jadr.2025.100985.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Background
Limited evidence on antidepressant effectiveness in pregnant women with eating disorders (ED) challenges pharmacotherapy management. We examined antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms with continued antidepressant use in women with ED.
Methods
We used data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) linked to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and MoBa Genetics. MoBa questionnaires at weeks 17 (early) and 30 (mid-late pregnancy) measured antidepressant exposure and symptoms of depression and anxiety using the 5-item Hopkins Symptom Checklist. We fitted generalised linear models and adjusted for confounding. In a subsample, we stratified analyses by polygenic-score tertiles for antidepressant response.
Results
We identified 5920 pregnancies in women with ED, mainly binge-eating disorder (BED) (84.0 %) and bulimia nervosa (BN) (12.4 %). Of these, 48 (0.8 %) continued antidepressants into early pregnancy, 93 (1.6 %) discontinued during, and 85 (1.4 %) discontinued before pregnancy. At early pregnancy only, continued antidepressant was associated with lower severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms relative to discontinuation. Among women with BED, this was specific to lower anxiety symptoms (β:-0.43, 95 %CI:-0.84, -0.02). This association was not observed in women with BN. In women with higher antidepressant-response polygenic-score continued antidepressant was associated with lower symptom severity relative to discontinued (range of β:-0.86 to -1.35).
Conclusions
Continuing antidepressants in early but not mid-late pregnancy is associated with lower severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms in women with BED. The association observed in women with higher antidepressant-response polygenic-score calls for larger studies on personalized treatment in perinatal ED.
-
Vira, Emily Gabriela; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Kaasbøll, Jannike; Kjøbli, John; Røysamb, Espen & Helland, Siri Saugestad
(2025).
Reciprocal associations between general psychopathology and emotion regulation from adolescence to adulthood.
International Journal of Behavioral Development.
ISSN 0165-0254.
s. 1–14.
doi:
10.1177/01650254251401322.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Emotion regulation (ER) is central to most mental health difficulties. However, we know less about the impact of mental health on ER, particularly during vulnerable developmental periods. This study examines longitudinal associations between ER strategies and general psychopathology from adolescence to adulthood, distinguishing between- and within-person effects across 1 and 13 years. Norwegian adolescents (N = 2,464, 51% female, mean age = 13.7) were followed into adulthood (N = 1,266, 56.7% female, mean age = 27.2). Five ER strategies, including rumination, reactive impulsivity, non-acceptance, problem-solving, and seeking social support, were assessed. Using Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models, within-person analyses revealed that more than usual psychopathology predicted more than usual rumination, reactive impulsivity, and non-acceptance 1 year later. Only more than usual reactivity reciprocally predicted more than usual psychopathology 1 year later. More than usual psychopathology during adolescence predicted less social support seeking than usual during adulthood, and more social support seeking than usual during adolescence predicted fewer symptoms of psychopathology than usual during adulthood. There were no significant associations between problem-solving and psychopathology. We found reciprocal and unidirectional associations between general psychopathology and ER strategies, highlighting ER as both a risk and protective factor, but also illuminating the role general psychopathology has on ER.
-
Chen, Sau-Chin; Buchanan, Erin M.; Kekecs, Zoltan; Miller, Jeremy K.; Szabelska, Anna & Aczel, Balazs
[Vis alle 114 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2025).
Investigating object orientation effects across 18 languages.
Current Psychology.
ISSN 1046-1310.
44(24),
s. 19174–19174.
doi:
10.1007/s12144-025-08304-x.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Mental simulation theories of language comprehension propose that people automatically create mental representations of objects mentioned in sentences. Mental representation is often measured with the sentence-picture verification task, wherein participants first read a sentence that implies the object property (i.e., shape and orientation). Participants then respond to an image of an object by indicating whether it was an object from the sentence or not. Previous studies have shown matching advantages for shape, but findings concerning object orientation have not been robust across languages. This registered report investigated the match advantage of object orientation across 18 languages in nearly 4,000 participants. The preregistered analysis revealed no compelling evidence for a match advantage for orientation across languages. Additionally, the match advantage was not predicted by mental rotation scores. In light of these findings, we discuss the implications for current theory and methodology surrounding mental simulation.
-
Aksnes, Eira R.; Birkeland, Marianne Skogbrott; Ebrahimi, Omid V.; Bekkhus, Mona; Ferschmann, Lia & Beck, Dani
[Vis alle 12 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2025).
Developmental dynamics of symptoms of emotional problems in childhood and adolescence: A longitudinal network analysis.
JCPP Advances.
doi:
10.1002/jcv2.70079.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Abstract Background Epidemiological studies document increasing incident rates of mental disorders across childhood and adolescence, with mood and anxiety disorders particularly increasing among adolescent females. Research also indicates that these emotional problems have become more prevalent in recent decades. Yet, there is still a lack of understanding of the interrelated development of distinct emotional symptoms from childhood to adolescence. Methods Here, we investigate and compare symptom dynamics in males and females. To accomplish this, we leveraged longitudinal data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children study ( N = 11,120, 50.1% males at baseline). We used five items ( worries , unhappy , nervous , fearful , somatic complaints ) derived from the parent‐reported Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire emotional problems scale, measured at up to seven timepoints (mean age = 9.52, range = 4.0–18.3 years old). We estimated a panel Graphical Vector Autoregressive network model (GVAR) and statistically compared the networks of males and females. Results The temporal network revealed largely reciprocal associations among symptoms, with the strongest edges between fearful–nervous and unhappy–worries ( β = 0.04–0.06). The contemporaneous and between‐person networks showed similar structures, although the between‐person network exhibited fewer but stronger associations, reflecting more stable individual differences. Somatic complaints were weakly connected in the temporal network but more strongly associated in contemporaneous and between‐person networks. Network invariance testing indicated no significant sex differences in average network structure. Conclusion The study delineates the developmental dynamics of emotional symptoms across childhood and adolescence, highlighting bidirectional influences between core symptoms of depression and anxiety, but did not find support for sex differences in their developmental interrelatedness.
-
Norbom, Linn B.; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Dahl, Andreas; Karl, Valerie; Westlye, Lars Tjelta & Tamnes, Christian K.
(2025).
Socioeconomic context influences the heritability of child cortical structure.
Communications Biology.
8.
doi:
10.1038/s42003-025-09022-7.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Children differ in brain cortical morphometry and microstructure, which together form the structural foundation for cognition. Cortical structure is highly heritable, but whether heritability varies across socioeconomic status (SES) is unknown. In this preregistered study, we estimated single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based heritability of cortical thickness, surface area, sulcal depth, and grey-/white-matter contrast (GWC) among 9,080 US 10-year-olds. We then tested whether genetic and environmental contributions were moderated by parental SES, defined as a composite of income, education, and neighbourhood deprivation. Cortical thickness and surface area showed high heritability, while sulcal depth and GWC exhibited moderate heritability. However, among children from lower-SES backgrounds, cortical differences were less genetically related and more uniquely environmentally related, at times exceeding genetic contributions. These findings suggest that in contexts of socioeconomic disadvantage, children’s brain structure reflect lived experience more strongly than previously recognized.
-
M., Buchanan, Erin; A., Acar, Oguz; Balazs, Aczel,; Matúš, Adamkovič,; Giulia, Agnoletti, & M., Akil, Atakan
[Vis alle 324 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2025).
Measuring the semantic priming effect across many languages.
Nature Human Behaviour.
doi:
10.1038/s41562-025-02254-x.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Semantic priming has been studied for nearly 50 years across various experimental manipulations and theoretical frameworks. Although previous studies provide insight into the cognitive underpinnings of semantic representations, they have suffered from small sample sizes and a lack of linguistic and cultural diversity. In this Registered Report, we measured the size and the variability of the semantic priming effect across 19 languages (n = 25,163 participants analysed) by creating the largest available database of semantic priming values using an adaptive sampling procedure. We found evidence for semantic priming in terms of differences in response latencies between related word-pair conditions and unrelated word-pair conditions. Model comparisons showed that the inclusion of a random intercept for language improved model fit, providing support for variability in semantic priming across languages. This study highlights the robustness and variability of semantic priming across languages and provides a rich, linguistically diverse dataset for further analysis. The Stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 15 July 2022. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://osf.io/u5bp6 (registration) or https://osf.io/q4fjy (preprint version 6, 31 May 2022). In this Stage 2 Registered Report, Buchanan et al. show evidence confirming the phenomenon of semantic priming across speakers of 19 diverse languages.
-
Heyman, Tom; Pronizius, Ekaterina; Lewis, Savannah C.; Acar, Oguz A.; Adamkovič, Matúš & Ambrosini, Ettore
[Vis alle 66 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2025).
Crowdsourcing multiverse analyses to explore the impact of different data-processing and analysis decisions: A tutorial.
Psychological methods.
ISSN 1082-989X.
doi:
10.1037/met0000770.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
When processing and analyzing empirical data, researchers regularly face choices that may appear arbitrary (e.g., how to define and handle outliers). If one chooses to exclusively focus on a particular option and conduct a single analysis, its outcome might be of limited utility. That is, one remains agnostic regarding the generalizability of the results, because plausible alternative paths remain unexplored. A multiverse analysis offers a solution to this issue by exploring the various choices pertaining to data-processing and/or model building, and examining their impact on the conclusion of a study. However, even though multiverse analyses are arguably less susceptible to biases compared to the typical single-pathway approach, it is still possible to selectively add or omit pathways. To address this issue, we outline a novel, more principled approach to conducting multiverse analyses through crowdsourcing. The approach is detailed in a step-by-step tutorial to facilitate its implementation. We also provide a worked-out illustration featuring the Semantic Priming Across Many Languages project, thereby demonstrating its feasibility and its ability to increase objectivity and transparency.
-
Tveit, Olav Bertin; Røysamb, Espen & Gustavson, Kristin
(2025).
Consulting Children When Parents Divorce: Longitudinal Associations with Mental Health and Parent–Child Relationship Outcomes.
Family Transitions.
ISSN 2837-5300.
66(7),
s. 455–478.
doi:
10.1080/28375300.2025.2527996.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Nguyen, Huong Thu; Ystrøm, Eivind; Gjerde, Line Cecilie & Næss, Øyvind Erik
(2025).
Life course socioeconomic position and the risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in a Norwegian twin study.
Scientific Reports.
15.
doi:
10.1038/s41598-025-16975-6.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Oftedal, Aurora; Kaasen, Anne; Karlsen, Taran; Haugen, Guttorm Nils & Bekkhus, Mona
(2025).
Maternal Distress in Pregnancies After Previous Fetal Anomaly: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
ISSN 1470-0328.
doi:
10.1111/1471-0528.18343.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Objective To assess mental health throughout pregnancy among women with a history of diagnosis of fetal anomaly. Design Prospective observational study. Setting Tertiary referral centre for fetal medicine. Population Pregnant women with a history of fetal anomaly (study group; n = 75) and women without such a history (comparison group; n = 111). A subgroup of women in the study group ( n = 28) participated in two different pregnancies, where the first had a diagnosis of fetal anomaly and the second did not. Methods Women completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Impact of Events Scale (IES) at four timepoints between gestational age 18 weeks and 36 weeks. Main Outcomes Trajectories of EPDS and IES across time in the study group and comparison group, as well as differences in EPDS and IES in the healthy pregnancy and the pregnancy with a diagnosis of fetal anomaly in the subgroup. Results Having a history of previous diagnosis of fetal anomaly was associated with elevated levels of depression and traumatic stress throughout pregnancy, even in healthy pregnancies (e.g., EPDS mean difference = 2.65, 95% CI [1.91, 3.21]). The difference between groups was largest early in pregnancy and decreased with increasing gestational age. Furthermore, women in the subgroup experienced much higher levels of distress in the pregnancy with a diagnosis of fetal anomaly than in their healthy pregnancy (e.g., EPDS mean difference = 8.7, 95% CI [6.40, 11.15]). Conclusion The results highlight the importance of considering women's history of fetal anomaly and prenatal loss even in healthy pregnancies.
-
-
Fluit, Sam; Overall, Nickola; Osborne, Danny; Hammond, Matthew & Sibley, Chris
(2025).
Intimate Partners’ Political Influence: Longitudinal Evidence for the Mutual Transmission of Party Support between Women and Men.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
ISSN 0146-1672.
s. 1–14.
doi:
https:/journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/01461672251360302.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Cross-sectional research demonstrates that intimate partners generally hold similar political preferences. It is unclear, however, whether intimate partners influence each other’s preferences over time. We address this oversight by investigating the transmission of political party support across 1,613 woman-man couples in long-term intimate relationships using 10 annual waves of longitudinal panel data. Actor-partner interdependence random intercepts cross-lagged panel models revealed that within-person increases in an intimate partner’s party support predicted within-person increases in the other couple member’s party support the following year. These partner effects emerged for six political parties in New Zealand and, with only one exception, did not differ in strength across women and men. Partner effects for self-rated political orientation were not significant. These results suggest that couples mutually reinforce each other’s political party support over time, advancing understanding of the interpersonal transmission of political preferences and identifying a dyadic process that may contribute to political polarization.
-
Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Borgen, Nicolai T.; Sandsør, Astrid Marie Jorde & Hufe, Paul
(2025).
The Genetic Lottery Goes to School: Better Schools Compensate for the Effects of Students' Genetic Differences.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).
ISSN 0027-8424.
122(43).
doi:
10.1073/pnas.2511715122.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
In this paper, we investigate whether better schools can compensate for the effects of children’s genetic differences. To this end, we combine data from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) with Norwegian register data to estimate the interaction between measures of children’s predisposition to education and school quality. We use MoBa’s genetic data to compute polygenic indices for educational attainment (PGIEA). Importantly, MoBa includes genetic data on mother-father-child trios, allowing us to identify causal genetic effects using within-family variation. We calculate school value-added measures from Norwegian register data, allowing us to causally estimate school quality effects. Leveraging the advantages of both data sources, we provide a causally identified study of gene–environment interactions in the school context. We find evidence for substitutability of PGIEA and school quality in reading but not numeracy: A 1 SD increase of school quality decreases the impact of a 1 SD increase of PGIEA on reading test scores by 6%. The substitutability arises through gains of students at the lower end of the PGIEA distribution. This suggests that investments in school quality may help reduce educational inequalities arising from genetic differences between students.
Se alle arbeider i NVA
-
Ystrom, Eivind; Timpe, Clara Marie Fides & Jole, Oda van
(2027).
Sosial ulikhet i Norge og barns psykiske utvikling - en megakobling.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem
(2026).
For Clark’s Consideration: Genotypic Population Stratification and Non-Additive Genetic Effects.
Econ Journal Watch.
23(2),
s. 545–553.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
In his book, To Have and Have Not: The Determinants of Social Status in England, 1600-2026, Gregory Clark argues that a simple model with genetic transmission and assortative mating is sufficient to explain why socio-economic outcomes tend to run in families. Additionally, he provides a collection of arguments against the idea that environmental effects are important contributors to the similarities in outcomes he documents within extended families. Here, I raise two criticisms of Clark’s explanatory framework, and for each criticism suggest ways to mitigate it without introducing environmental effects. First, I criticize the framework for requiring that mates are highly correlated on unobserved traits that are highly heritable and highly genetically correlated with the outcome to be explained. I here suggest allowing for genotypic population stratification. Second, I criticize the framework for underestimating the importance of zygosity for the similarity of twins. As a fix for this, I suggest incorporating non-additive genetic effects.
-
Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem; Lyu, Xuanyu & Keller, Matthew C.
(2026).
The island model of assortative mating: Assortment through segregation and selective migration.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
In a sample of 180,194 genotyped norwegians, we have correlations on polygenic scores for both height and educational attainment for 446,779 pairs of relatives, across 20 categories. There are 7 categories of biological relatives and 13 categories of relatives-in-law, connected by increasingly long chains of sibling, parent/child and marriage links, going out as far as six links. For height PGIs, we find that the pattern of correlations aligns well with a simple model of direct phenotypic assortment. For educational attainment, however, PGI correlations between distant in-laws are much too high for direct assortment. And models with indirect assortment on an unobserved trait can fit these data only if this trait is very highly correlated between mates and siblings. We present an alternative mechanism for assortative mating, where mating only occurs within segregated sub-populations, and where movements between sub-populations are uncommon and phenotype dependent. Through simulations, we show that such a model of assortment, which we name “the island model”, can account for our set of PGI correlations without the need for extreme assumptions about an unobserved assortment phenotype. Additionally, the model is consistent with recent studies of migration patterns within nations, showing that movements between rural and urban areas correlate with EA4 PGIs. Implications for behavioral genetic models assuming standard phenotypic assortment are discussed. And so are various properties of this island model, such as equilibrium conditions, and the consequences of sub-population specific shared-environmental effects.
-
-
-
-
Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Røysamb, Espen; Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi & Prydz, Monica Beer
(2026).
Digital Wellbeing Promotion in the General Population: Effects, Mechanisms, and Long-Term Outcomes of the Five Ways to Wellbeing for All Intervention.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Introduction
The global rise in mental health problems and compromised wellbeing highlights the need for scalable and cost-effective wellbeing interventions. The Five Ways to Wellbeing for All (5waysA) is a digital adaptation of the UK’s Five Ways to Wellbeing framework, promoting wellbeing through five activity domains: connect, be active, take notice, keep learning, and give. Delivered via two webinars and SMS reminders over ten weeks, the 5waysA program aims to enhance wellbeing and reduce psychological distress in the general population.
Methods
A large-scale randomized controlled trial (N = 969) and subsequent secondary analyses were conducted in Norway. Self-reported life satisfaction, flourishing, positive emotions, anxiety, and depression were assessed pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. Analyses included multilevel modeling, mediation analysis, and network intervention analysis (NIA). A 12-month follow-up study with synthetic control comparison examined long-term effects.
Findings
Compared to waiting-list controls, participants in the intervention group reported significantly greater improvements in wellbeing (life satisfaction, flourishing, positive emotions) and reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms (Cohen’s d = 0.20–0.49), with larger effects among those with most pre-intervention symptoms. Mediation analyses indicated that engagement in the Five Ways activities partially explained these effects, with a clear dose–response relationship between activity engagement and wellbeing outcomes. NIA revealed that increased positive emotions represented the main direct pathway, linking the intervention to improved wellbeing. Long-term follow-up demonstrated sustained gains in life satisfaction at 12 months (d = 0.28), exceeding simulated population-level controls (d = 0.17).
Conclusions
The 5waysA program effectively promotes wellbeing and reduces distress through accessible, evidence-based activities. Its digital, low-cost format, and durable effects make it a promising large-scale strategy for population-level mental health promotion and positive psychological functioning.
-
Nes, Ragnhild Bang
(2026).
#60 Blir vi lykkeligere av penger? - Sunn Økonomi | Acast.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Listen to #60 Blir vi lykkeligere av penger? from Sunn Økonomi. Gjør penger oss lykkelige? I denne episoden har jeg med psykolog og lykkesforsker Gunvor Marie Dyrdal, som har doktorgrad i positiv psykologi - og vi dykker ned i forskningen på penger og lykke. Vi gir deg 8 konkrete hverdagsvaner somforskning viser faktisk gjør oss lykkeligere.
-
Nes, Ragnhild Bang
(2026).
Fem grep for et litt lykkeligere 2026 - Av-og-til.
[Internet].
Av og til.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Oppdag de fem «lykke-knepene» fra lykkeforsker Ragnhild Bang Nes. Bli lykkeligere i hverdagen med konkrete øvelser og forskningsbaserte grep.
-
Nes, Ragnhild Bang
(2026).
– God livskvalitet er en motor.
[Internet].
Forskerforum.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Lykkeforsker ved Folkehelseinstituttet Ragnhild Bang Nes mener et godt liv bør være en menneskerett.
-
-
-
Nes, Ragnhild Bang
(2026).
– Når gledene oppstår, kan vi like gjerne kjenne på dei - NRK.
[Journal].
NRK.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Dersom du ikkje følger med, er det lett å gå glipp av kvardagsgleder. Bjarte har trena på å legge merke til dei.
-
-
-
Demange, Perline Aline Delle
(2026).
Beyond trio: genetic effects in the extended family.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Demange, Perline Aline Delle
(2026).
Beyond trio: genetic effects in the extended family.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Demange, Perline Aline Delle; Akingbuwa, Wonuola; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie & Ystrom, Eivind
(2026).
A Genomic Test of Goodness-of-Fit: Using Personality Polygenic Indices to Model Parent–Child Fit during Development.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Demange, Perline Aline Delle; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Akingbuwa, Wonuola & Ystrom, Eivind
(2026).
A Genomic Test of Goodness-of-Fit: Using Personality Polygenic Indices to Model Parent–Child Fit.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Tabori, Mia; Enander, Hilda; Ystrom, Eivind & Demange, Perline Aline Delle
(2026).
To What Extent Does Early Temperament Predict Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Adolescence? A Sibling Design.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
-
Demange, Perline Aline Delle
(2026).
Cognitive, Non-Cognitive, and Genetics: Perline Demange on Skills, Schooling, and Psychopathology.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Soest, Tilmann von & Potočár, Libor
(2026).
Å vokse opp med foreldre som er sammen, har betydning lang inn i voksen alder.
[Journal].
Aftenposten.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Forskerne fulgte over 3000 nordmenn fra de var rundt 15 til 43 år. De fant noen tydelige spor etter foreldrenes betydning.
-
Soest, Tilmann von
(2026).
Dette hjelper mot ensomhet.
[Internet].
nrk.no.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Nesten hele livet har Svein Arild Johnsen vært farlig ensom. Så fant han løsningen ekspertene hyller.
-
-
Ystrom, Eivind; Demange, Perline Aline Delle; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; McAdams, Thomas Andrew; Eilertsen, Espen Moen & Timpe, Clara Marie Fides
[Vis alle 8 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2026).
Child Personality Polygenic Indices and Parental Distress: Evidence of Active Gene-Environment Correlations and Interactions from Parent–Offspring Trios.
doi:
https:/osf.io/fwaqp/overview.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Child temperament and personality are conjectured to affect parental distress, and there are
findings supporting such transactions. Yet, to date, there is no evidence for such evocative
gene-environment correlations using exogenous within-family offspring genetic variation.
Using 30 000 parent–offspring genotyped trios from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child
Cohort (MoBa), we test how child personality polygenic indexes (PGIs) independently affect
maternal and paternal mental distress across the life course (age 16-60). The second
longstanding hypothesis is that such child-to-parent transactions are non-additive due to
gene-environment interactions. We will reveal the scope of this by estimating the expansion of
within-person-timepoint parental mental distress over child personality PGIs. The third
longstanding hypothesis is that the evocative effect is dependent on the parental personality,
or the “goodness-of-fit”. We will examine moderation by parental Big Five PGIs to test if the
effect of a child’s personality on parent depression depends on the parent’s own personality
predispositions. This genetically controlled approach provides a novel and robust test of child-
evoked effects across the life course. Results for both mothers and fathers will be presented,
highlighting the power of child PGIs as a new tool to reveal intergenerational influences on
parental mental distress.
-
-
-
Ystrom, Eivind
(2026).
Da Mette og Helle ble gravide, ble de en snakkis blant helsepersonell.
[Journal].
Aftenposten.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Dette er helt tilfeldig og ganske usannsynlig. Men de eneggede tvillingene Mette og Helle Bugge Bergsund (36) har selv fått hvert sitt par eneggede tvillinger i løpet av tre måneder.
-
Ystrom, Eivind
(2026).
Are You Mostly Noise? Eivind Ystrøm on the Genetics of Personality.
doi:
https:/www.podbean.com/ew/pb-x24tj-1a9abb6.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Personality psychologists were doing behavior genetics way before it was cool. In this episode, Rafael and Aysu sit down with Eivind Ystrøm, personality psychologist at the University of Oslo, to talk about what personality actually is, how heritable it turns out to be, and why the field was so far ahead of the rest of the social sciences in taking genetics seriously.
They also dig into one of the most provocative findings in the field: the so-called "gloomy prospect" — the idea that a large chunk of what makes you you may come down to essentially random, non-systematic events that even siblings growing up in the same household don't share. What does this mean for the search for specific environmental causes of personality? And more importantly — what is the mysterious mutation that Eivind thinks he may have?
-
Ystrom, Eivind & Ivanova, Anna
(2026).
Do reproductive factors shape depression stability? Early menarche, endometriosis and PMS in longitudinal registry data.
doi:
https:/2026.ehps.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ehps26_final_program_27_08-1.pdf.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Background: Menstrual and gynaecological conditions may increase depression risk, but it is unclear whether they relate to onset versus persistence.
Methods: 85,637 women aged 14 to 72 from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) contributed with 18,415,809 person-months of patient registry data (2006–2023) on primary-care depression diagnosis. Early menarche (before age 12), endometriosis, and Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) was recorded by questionnaire. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate risk ratios (RR) for population average effects and conditioned on prior-month depression to additionally test condition*prior-depression (stability) interactions and condition*age interactions.
Results: Depression was prevalent in 26.3% of women across the 18-year observation period and incident within 1.18% of the person-months. Early menarche, endometriosis, and PMS predicted higher depression risk RR=1.22 (95%CI 1.15-1.29), 1.19 (95%CI 1.04-1.36), and 1.68 (95%CI 1.61-1.75). Conditioning on prior month depression status, main effects were for early menarche RR=1.21 (95%CI 1.15-1.28), endometriosis RR=1.19 (95%CI 1.04-1.35), and PMS remained RR=1.70 (95%CI 1.63-1.77); indicating associations were primarily with transitions into depression rather than persistence. Early menarche RR=0.83 (95%CI 0.79-0.88), endometriosis RR=0.83 (95%CI 0.72-0.95), and PMS RR=0.59 (95%CI 0.56-0.61) all contributed to lower stability of depression. Furthermore, early menarche gave a diminishing risk for depression with older age.
Conclusions: Early menarche, endometriosis, and PMS mark elevated depression burden. However, this appears to happen primarily through increased transitions into depression rather than chronicity. Hence, early age of menarche, endometriosis, and PMS may help identify women eligible for preventive mental health interventions rather than being fixed markers of life-course depression risk.
-
-
Ystrom, Eivind & Madsen, Ole Jacob
(2026).
Fritt hjemme, strengt på skolen.
[Internet].
forskning.no.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Dagens foreldre skaper problemer på skolen, ifølge lærere. Professor mener vi overdriver effekten av foreldrestiler.
-
Ystrom, Eivind
(2026).
Ny studie tilbakeviser Trumps Paracet-teori.
[Internet].
tv2.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
USAs president påstod at risikoen for utvikling av autisme økte ved mors inntak av paracetamol.
-
Evje, Jacob
(2026).
Mental health and social relationships in sexual minority youth in Norway .
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Evje, Jacob
(2026).
Mental health, wellbeing, and social challenges in sexual minority youth in Norway .
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Qin, Qi; Demange, Perline Aline Delle; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie & Ystrom, Eivind
(2026).
How Schools and Neighborhoods Shape the Translation of Polygenic Personality Indices into Academic Outcomes.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
The Big Five personality traits are robust predictors of individual differences in academic
outcomes, yet the mechanisms through which they shape the outcomes remain unclear.
Building on our prior work showing contextual moderation of non-cognitive polygenic indices
(PGI), we hypothesize that personality traits likewise do not exert uniform influences across
contexts. Instead, their effects on academic outcomes emerge through dynamic interactions
with the social and economic environments in which individuals develop. Recent GWAS on Big
Five personality traits enable the construction of PGIs that quantify the individual-level genetic
propensities, and are largely independent of the environment and minimize reverse causality.
Using data from ~32,000 trios in the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study
(MoBa) linked to national school and residential registries, we apply multilevel models to
investigate how personality-related PGIs contribute to students’ grade point average (GPA),
and how these associations vary across latent school and neighborhood contexts. We further
test the extent to which the measured socioeconomic status aggregates at the school and
neighborhood level interact with individual liability in personality traits. This work aims to
provide a comprehensive framework for understanding how individual propensities for
personality become developmentally expressed into academic outcomes within real-world
contextual ecologies.
-
Peng, Qiyuan; Rietveld, Cornelius A.; Ystrom, Eivind; Zachrisson, Henrik Daae; Havdahl, Alexandra & Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie
(2026).
Does Universal Childcare Affect Early Child Development?
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ofstad, Sverre Berg; Demange, Perline Aline Delle; Ayorech, Ziada; Valstad, Mathias & Ystrom, Eivind
(2026).
Temporal Trends in the Severity and Impairment of Childhood and Adolescent ADHD: A Population-Wide Genetic Study in Norway.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
By calculating family genetic risk scores for the entire for the entire Norwegian population for birth years 1992-2019, ages 6-16 (N ≈ 1.5M) we show that the reduction in functional impairment over time is largely attributed to a diagnostic expansion of less genetically severe cases. Those who are diagnosed today have lower levels of genetic risk, while simulatenously, there has been no change in the relationship between GPA at age 16 and genetic risk for ADHD.
-
-
Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae
(2026).
Disentangling overlapping and unique contributions to wellbeing.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ofstad, Sverre Berg; Demange, Perline Aline Delle; Ayorech, Ziada; Valstad, Mathias & Ystrom, Eivind
(2026).
Temporal Trends in the Severity and Impairment of Childhood and Adolescent ADHD: A Population-Wide Genetic Study in Norway.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
By calculating family genetic risk scores for the entire for the entire Norwegian population for birth years 1992-2019, ages 6-16 (N ≈ 1.5M) we show that the reduction in functional impairment over time is largely attributed to a diagnostic expansion of less genetically severe cases. Those who are diagnosed today have lower levels of genetic risk, while simulatenously, there has been no change in the relationship between GPA at age 16 and genetic risk for ADHD.
-
-
-
-
Fandrem, Hildegunn; Nygaard, Egil & Pedersen, Cathrine
(2026).
Webinar om FoL (04.02.2026) – HeaLS og LIFE: Refleksjoner om det tverrfaglige temaet Folkehelse og livsmestring.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Pedersen, Cathrine; Nygaard, Egil; Sundgot-Borgen, Christine & Daza, Viviana
(2026).
Refleksjonsopplegg om FoL – HeaLS og LIFE: Folkehelse og livsmestring i skolen.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Vanvik, Marthe Gallefoss; Nygaard, Egil & Pedersen, Cathrine
(2026).
Refleksjoner og forskningsfunn om Folkehelse og livsmestring.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Nygaard, Egil
(2026).
Teaching health and life skills: A good idea, but does it make a difference?
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
-
Soest, Tilmann von
(2026).
– Send barna i arbeid før idretten tar dem! – Aftenposten Podkast.
doi:
https:/www.aftenposten.no/podkast/ap/episode/138654.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
De som jobber tidlig i ungdomsårene, lyser det lang vei av, mener Aftenpostens skribent. Norske forskere har undersøkt nettopp dette. Har det noe å si? Med spaltist Per Asbjørn Risnes og forsker ved OsloMet og professor ved Universitetet i Oslo Tilmann von Soest.
Foto: Heiko Junge, NTB
-
-
Espseth, Luca Dalen; Evje, Jacob & Fluit, Sam
(2026).
Sam Fluit and Jacob Evje about trans peoples experience in Europe - Trans Norge | Podcast.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Jacob Evje won the "verdt å vite" award for his Masters that compared the experience of transpeople with cisgender LGB people in Europe.
In this episode you meet him and his supervisor Sam Fluit.
We talk about the findings, but also about how it is to do research on queer topics this days.
And Luca are sorry about all the swearing he commits in this episode :)
More about the price:
https://www.sv.uio.no/om/aktuelt/vag-a-vite/intervjuer/2023/vag-a-vite-diskriminering-vold-mot-transpersoner-psi.html
-
-
-
Demange, Perline Aline Delle
(2025).
Beyond trio: genetic effects in the extended family.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Demange, Perline Aline Delle
(2025).
Beyond trio: genetic effects in the extended family.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Yang, Tianfang; Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem; Valstad, Mathias; Reichborn-Kjennerud, Ted; Ystrom, Eivind & Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi
(2025).
The lifespan impact of personality disorder on marital outcome: a Norwegian population study.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi; Gustavson, Kristin & Ystrom, Eivind
(2025).
When Dracula Takes the PID-5: What Can We Learn from Psychometric Exploration of Data Simulated Using Large Language Models.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Several recent studies have demonstrated that large language models (LLMs) are able to simulate responses to surveys in ways that mimic observed characteristics of data from real human samples (Argyle, 2023). Since LLMs are trained on a sizeable proportion of all text produced by humans, it is reasonable to expect that they capture a deep understanding of human personality traits. Consequently, analysing data simulated by LLM’s may enable new ways to study psychological constructs and develop psychometric instruments.
In this exploratory study, we used the GPT programming interface (API) to prompt the model to generate responses for 300 well-known literary characters across several instruments related to pathological and normative personality traits. This included the PID-5, the Structured Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders (SIDP), the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2), and the IPIP-300. Characters were drawn from a wide range of literary traditions, genres, and historical periods. For each instrument, GPT-4o was instructed to adopt the voice and perspective of the character and provide item-level responses using standard Likert-style scales.
Our goal was twofold: first, to assess whether the factor structures and inter-scale correlations observed in the simulated data resembled those from real-world samples; and second, to explore whether the same data might suggest novel trait constellations or latent domains not fully captured by existing instruments. Together, these analyses offer a proof of concept for using LLMs in hypothesis generation and instrument development.
-
Ystrom, Eivind
(2025).
Forsker | Utdanning.no.
[Internet].
utdanning.no.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
– Du må stå opp hver dag og faktisk ha lyst til å drive med forskning, forteller Eivind.
-
Ystrom, Eivind
(2025).
Paracetamol under graviditet forårsaker ikke autisme eller ADHD.
[Journal].
VG.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Norsk studie av 100 000 barn viser ingen årsakssammenheng.
-
-
Ystrom, Eivind
(2025).
Fagprat på fredag med Eivind Ystrøm: Sammenhengen mellom genetikk og skoleprestasjoner
- Senter for spesialpedagogisk forskning og inkludering (SpedAims).
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
De fleste kjenner til at utfordringer som dysleksi, matematikkvansker og ADHD ofte har en arvelig komponent. Men det er mindre intuitivt at også hvordan vi presterer i fag som norsk og matematikk generelt kan være påvirket av genetiske faktorer gjennom arvbare trekk – ikke bare av sosial bakgrunn.
I denne fagpraten presenterer Eivind Ystrøm, professor i personlighetspsykologi og leder for genetikkgruppen ved PROMENTA Research Centre (GeoGen), ny kunnskap om hvordan arv og miljø virker sammen i barns utvikling.
Ystrøm forsker på hvordan genetiske og miljømessige faktorer former tidlig sosioøkonomisk utvikling og psykisk helse, blant annet gjennom slektskapsstudier og molekylærgenetiske analyser. Forskningen hans omfatter også «genetic nurture» – hvordan foreldres arvelige egenskaper påvirker barns utvikling, selv når barna ikke arver de samme genene – og hvordan genetiske effekter varierer på tvers av skoler og nærmiljøer.
-
-
Ystrom, Eivind
(2025).
Writing and Publishing: Reflections from JCPP Advances Editors (Eivind Ystrøm).
[Internet].
The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
doi:
10.13056/acamh.13851.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
In this video from the Writing and Publishing: Reflections from JCPP Advances Editors series, Professor Eivind Ystrøm discusses how unstructured thinking time can lead to creative scientific insights. He reflects on using dialectic reasoning and narrative techniques drawn from film to engage readers and shape research arguments. Drawing on personal habits and storytelling, he shares how self-imposed constraints can support productivity and encourages early-career researchers to view the review process as a constructive dialogue.
Learning Objectives
1. Recognise how unstructured time and everyday routines can foster research creativity.
2. Understand how dialectic reasoning and narrative techniques can be used to engage readers.
3. Reframe the peer review process as a dialogue with editors and reviewers.
-
Valstad, Mathias; Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem; Yang, Tianfang; Reichborn-Kjennerud, Ted; Ystrom, Eivind & Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi
(2025).
Epidemiology of personality disorders in Norway, 2010 to 2022.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Pileberg, Silje & Hansen, Heidi Marie Umbach
(2025).
Tvillingstudie: Er det genetisk å bli berørt av musikk?
[Internet].
Forskning.no.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Personlighetstyper kan ha mye å si, viser ny forskning.
-
Evje, Jacob
(2025).
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in UngData - A National Sample of Norwegian Youth.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ystrøm, Eivind & Nordeng, Hedvig Marie Egeland
(2025).
Paracetamol i svangerskapet.
Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening (Tidsskriftet).
ISSN 0029-2001.
145(14),
s. 1164–1164.
doi:
10.4045/tidsskr.25.0645.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
-
-
-
Soest, Tilmann von
(2025).
Pønsj - NRK Radio.
[Radio].
NRK P3.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Hvordan er det å være ung i Norge når det kommer til rus, sex og karriere? Det har vår gjest Tilmann von Soest forsket på.
-
Krogshus, Kristian Green; Bjertness, Espen; Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi; Rodriguez-Cano, Ruben & Nes, Ragnhild Bang
(2025).
Study protocol for 5Ways@School – An implementation and effectiveness trial of a school-based wellbeing intervention in 16 schools in Norway.
doi:
10.1177/14034948251370109.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Aims: This study aims to assess the effectiveness and implementation of the 5Ways@School curriculum-based intervention in Norwegian schools. The intervention builds on the Five Ways to Wellbeing framework, and promotes five action domains: connect with others, be physically active, take notice, keep learning, and give. The study objectives include assessing the intervention’s acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, and cost, as well as its impact on students’ wellbeing and mental health. Methods: The study is a hybrid effectiveness–implementation trial using mixed methods. It is a longitudinal, two-armed, non-randomized, controlled study involving students in grades 5 to 10 (ages 10 to 16). The primary outcomes are the intervention’s acceptability and feasibility, and its effectiveness on students’ wellbeing. Data collection includes web-based questionnaires for students and teachers, and qualitative interviews with teachers. Quantitative data will be analysed using multilevel regression models and network intervention analysis, while qualitative data will be analysed using thematic analysis. Conclusions: The study aims to provide insights into the implementation and effectiveness of the wellbeing-promoting 5Ways@School intervention. The findings could inform the optimization of the 5Ways@School and other future school-based interventions, and thereby contribute to the wellbeing of children and young people. The study’s strengths include its real-life school setting and mixed methods approach, while limitations include its non-randomized design. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID NCT06144502.
-
Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Valstad, Mathias; Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem & Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
A Bayesian Framework for Zygosity Classification and Heritability Estimation Using Nationwide Registry Data.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
-
Porneso, Ralph Pascual Ortiz; Havdahl, Alexandra; Eilertsen, Espen Moen & Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Genetic Non-Additivity Reveals Variants in Complex Traits.
doi:
https:/geneforum.ee/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Gene-Forum-Poster-Abstract-book.pdf.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Background: The contribution of non-additive genetic variation in human traits is nil for
dominance, small for epistasis and, theory suggests, minimal for gene-environment
interaction. Evidence from behavioral genetics indicates genetic interactions play a role in
cognitive traits, and recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on height and BMI
have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in interactions. This study
is a first step to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind gene-gene and gene-
environment interactions and, in part, bridge the gap in the missing heritability problem.
Study question: Are there SNPs associated with complex traits plasticity?
Methods: We used a non-linear mixed effects framework to concurrently estimate SNPs’
mean (i.e. additive) and within individual variability (i.e. non-additive) effects on height and
BMI at 6, 8 and 12 months (N=~45,000) and Math and Reading scores at grades 5, 8 and
9 (N=~65,000) from the Norwegian Mother Father and Child cohort (MoBa). We compared
our models against a newly developed pipeline, trajGWAS, which restricts discovery to
variants with linear within subject (WS) variance effects. Our approach relaxes this
restriction. In addition, we investigated whether time-varying effects overlap with non-
additive effects.
Main results: We found putative “plasticity” variants with linear and non-linear effects. We
provide within-individual variability summary statistics for height, BMI, Math and Reading.
We found SNP time-varying effects explain ~1% of non-additive effects on average but
found no overlap.
Limitations: At present, our pipeline runs only using multiple cores and takes a
considerable amount of compute hours.
-
Porneso, Ralph Pascual Ortiz; Havdahl, Alexandra; Eilertsen, Espen Moen & Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Non-additive genetic effects and complex traits plasticity.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on educational attainment and related outcomes have succeeded at identifying hundreds to thousands of genetic variants with small additive effects using measures collected at a single time point. Recently, GWAS leveraging measures collected at multiple time points have found novel genetic associations, suggesting the presence of previously undetected time-specific variants. We hypothesized that a subset of these variants may be involved in gene-by-gene or gene-by-environment interaction. In the present study, we expanded the GWAS framework by estimating genetic effects on the residual variance. We used non-linear mixed effects (NLME) and double generalized linear models (DGLM) to concurrently estimate mean and within individual variance effects on academic performance in Math and Reading at grades 5, 8 and 9 in ~65,000 children from the Norwegian Mother Father and Child cohort (MoBa). We compared our models against a newly developed pipeline, trajGWAS, which restricts variant discovery to those with log-linear within subject (WS) variance effects. Our approach does not impose this restriction and found variants with non-linear variance effect. We replicated findings from other variance-based approaches that non-additive effects co-occur with mean effects. We decorrelated these effects and provide summary statistics for Math and Reading. This study is a first step to better understanding gene-by-gene and gene-by-environment interactions and shed light on the genetic correlates and potential mechanisms involved in complex trait plasticity.
-
Demange, Perline Aline Delle
(2025).
Beyond trio: genetic effects in the entire extended family.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Ayorech, Ziada Ng'ombo Laurel; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie & Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Et mangfold av ulikhet: Fra økonomi til gener.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ayorech, Ziada Ng'ombo Laurel & Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Genes, Providers, and Depression: Expanding the Scope of Psychiatric Genetic Epidemiology to the Patient–Clinician Relationship.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ayorech, Ziada Ng'ombo Laurel & Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Reflections of an early career researcher.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Fluit, Sam; Evje, Jacob & Lervik, Martin
(2025).
Bisexual erasure.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Selv om bifile utgjør den største gruppen blant skeive, blir de ofte oversett, fornektet eller misforstått – både i den skeive bevegelsen, i historien, akademia og media. I sin mest ekstreme form innebærer dette det som kalles bi erasure, eller bifil usynlighet: en påstand om at biseksualitet ikke eksisterer, og at personer som identifiserer seg som bifile egentlig er enten heterofile eller homofile. Slike forestillinger gir grobunn for stereotype oppfatninger, som at bifile er forvirret, i fornektelse eller – som med bifile menn – egentlig er homofile som “bare” trenger tid til å “bestemme seg”. Dette fenomenet henger tett sammen med bifobi. Selv om holdningene ikke alltid manifesteres på en uttalt eller uttrykkes på en aggressiv måte, bidrar de til usynliggjøring og til store utfordringer for bifile, som ofte opplever å bli marginalisert både i samfunnet og i LGBTQ+-miljøet.
-
Fluit, Sam & Bjerke, Ylva Lie
(2025).
Mai er internasjonal onanimåned: – Å masturbere har store helsegevinster – Dagsavisen.
[Journal].
Dagsavisen.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Stipendiat Sam Fluit og kollegaene har forska på nordmenns onanivaner. Det er store forskjeller mellom menn og kvinner, men en ting er klinkende klart: Vi gjør det alle sammen.
-
Fluit, Sam & Vollan, Mette
(2025).
Forskere med ny studie om onani: Store forskjeller på kvinner og menn - NRK.
[Internet].
NRK.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Lyu, Xuanyu & Keller, Matthew
(2025).
Correlations between relatives in law on polygenic scores.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ofstad, Sverre Berg; Tan, Tony & Andersson, Björn
(2025).
Comparing Elective Subject Difficulty Using a Joint Item Response Theory Model.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ofstad, Sverre Berg; Demange, Perline Aline Delle; Torvik, Fartein Ask; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Qin, Qi & Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Using within-family polygenic indexes to examine sex-specific gene-environment interaction on GPA.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Fang, Yuan & Nygaard, Egil
(2025).
Differential Effects of a Nationwide Curriculum-Based Intervention on Student Mental Health: The Role of Socioeconomic Status.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Genes as environments – intergenerational transmission of mental health.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Intergenerational transmission of mental health in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort study.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Parent-Child Fit for Physical Education: Variance Modeling Reveals Independent Pathways.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
-
Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Debate Flares Over an Unproven Link Between Tylenol and Autism.
[Journal].
The New York Times.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Studies over the last decade of acetaminophen use in pregnancy — including a recent scientific review — have yielded mixed results but have not found a causal connection.
-
-
Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Norsk forsker om Trumps paracetamol-påstand: - Kan bli alvorlig.
[Internet].
tv2.no.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
- Jeg blir bekymret av uttalelsene fordi Paracet er det mest anbefalte medikamentet å bruke når en har feber under graviditeten, sier forsker Eivind Ystrøm.
-
Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Zachrisson, Henrik Daae & Bailey, Drew
(2025).
Gene-environment interplay and childcare decisions.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie
(2025).
Sociogenomics keynote, The Winter School on Inequality and Social Welfare Theory.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Peng, Qiyuan; Rietveld, Cornelius A. (Niels); Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ystrøm, Eivind & Havdahl, Alexandra
(2025).
Causal Intergenerational Transmission of Education in Norway.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
-
-
Peng, Qiyuan; Pettersen, Johanne Hagen; Sunde, Hans Fredrik; Rietveld, Cornelius A. (Niels); Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie & Demange, Perline Aline Delle
[Vis alle 11 forfattere av denne artikkelen]
(2025).
Intergenerational Transmission of Education in Norway: A Triangulation Approach.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
The intergenerational transmission of education is a critical topic in social science. Substantial empirical evidence shows that children of highly educated parents often achieve higher levels of academic success than those of less-educated parents (Blanden et al., 2024; Björklund and Salvanes, 2011). Both environmental and genetic factors contribute to the association between parental and offspring educational attainment. However, existing empirical research often conflates these effects due to methodological differences and data limitations, making the results challenging to interpret and sometimes yielding conflicting conclusions (Atav et al., 2024). These limitations restrict insights to intergenerational correlations rather than establishing causal effects. Our study addresses this gap by employing a triangulation approach, integrating multiple methods with distinct strengths and biases to examine whether parental education causally impacts offspring’s educational achievement. Specifically, by leveraging parent-child trios’ register data from Statistics Norway and genetic data from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), we apply multivariable regression analysis, entropy balancing, adoption design, and within-family Mendelian randomization to explore the causal relationship between parental educational attainment and offspring’s educational achievement (grade point average, GPA) in Norway. Our preliminary findings suggest a causal effect of parental educational attainment on offspring’s academic success during adolescence, with variations between maternal and paternal influences and differential effects by offspring sex. By isolating genetic confounders, this study enhances our understanding of the causal pathways in intergenerational educational transmission, offering valuable insights for addressing educational inequalities.
-
Porneso, Ralph Pascual Ortiz; Havdahl, Alexandra; Eilertsen, Espen Moen & Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Genetic non-additivity reveals variants in complex traits plasticity.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
In human complex traits, the contribution of non-additive relative to additive genetic variation is nil (dominance) to small (genetic interactions) which makes variant discovery difficult to achieve (Hivert, 2018). Even with larger samples, gene-gene and gene-environment interaction studies face several technical challenges (e.g. greater multiple testing burden, collecting and modelling correlated factors, etc) that impede progress in uncovering biological insights behind trait plasticity . We work around these issues by concurrently modelling the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on trait level, which shifts the distribution, and variability, which generates heteroscedasticity (unequal variance across genotype levels) resulting in the spreading out of phenotypic values around a mean. This approach does not require explicit interaction terms to be fitted to the data thereby lessening both computational complexity and multiple testing burden encountered by more traditional approaches. We estimate SNP effects on trait level (additive) and variability (non-additive) using a longitudinal heteroscedastic mixed effects model that assume uncorrelated variance components. In total, we found 25 lead putative plasticity SNPs (i.e. 2 for infant length, 11 for BMI, 5 for math and 7 for reading) of which 5 (1 for infant length and 4 for BMI) were previously reported in epistatic or gene-environment interaction in independent studies. We show that non-additive, time-varying and additive effects are correlated with each other across all 4 traits, indicating additive genetic variation captures SNP interaction effects. Our findings provide SNP-based evidence that non-additive genetic variation contributes to complex traits including height.
-
Kvarberg, Paal Fredrik Skjørten & Liu, Jinrui
(2025).
Necessary Conditions in Lay Attributions of Well-being.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Liu, Jinrui; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Vittersø, Joar; Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth & Røysamb, Espen
(2025).
How Good is Feeling Good?
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
-
Ayorech, Ziada Ng'ombo Laurel; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Demange, Perline Aline Delle; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Valstad, Mathias & Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
How the importance of family history and gender for receiving a depression diagnosis varies over GP’s.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ayorech, Ziada Ng'ombo Laurel
(2025).
Common misconceptions in Social Science Genetics.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ayorech, Ziada Ng'ombo Laurel
(2025).
Beyond the trio: Broadening the relationships we study to obtain new insights for improving mental health and wellness.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ayorech, Ziada Ng'ombo Laurel; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Demange, Perline Aline Delle; Eilertsen, Espen Moen & Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Leveraging family-based data reveals gene-environment interplay in life course depression.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Rayner, Chris; Mcadams, Tom; Havdahl, Alexandra; Ystrøm, Eivind & Ayorech, Ziada Ng'ombo Laurel
(2025).
A repeated measures GWAS in relatives: detecting age-specific genetic effects on maternal depression.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Ayorech, Ziada Ng'ombo Laurel & Ystrøm, Eivind
(2025).
Social Media as a Communication Tool.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
-
Beck, Kathryn Christine; Reisel, Liza & Torvik, Fartein Ask
(2025).
Forskere er uenige om fleksibel skolestart.
[Journal].
Kilden.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Opptakssystemet favoriserer de eldste skolebarna, slår forsker fast. Er fleksibel skolestart løsningen?
-
-
-
Fluit, Sam
(2026).
Homo Politicus: Investigations on the Role of Psychosocial Development in Political Attitudes and Behavior.
Universitetet i Oslo.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
In times of political polarization, understanding the factors that shape political attitudes and behavior is crucial. Recent research and policy reports have emphasized the importance of psychosocial factors, pointing to possible links between polarization and ongoing crises in mental health and social belonging. The central aim of this doctoral thesis was to advance knowledge about how psychosocial factors influence political preference formation across the life course. To do so, I drew on large-scale longitudinal data spanning key developmental stages, from adolescence to midlife.
This thesis examined three important psychosocial domains: mental health, self-esteem, and interpersonal relationships, and their role in shaping political preferences in adulthood. Together, these factors were studied in relation to more than a dozen indicators of political attitudes and voting behavior. The project comprised three studies based on two longitudinal datasets from Norway and New Zealand—both multi-party political systems characterized by coalition governments. Although this is the dominant democratic model worldwide, political attitudes in multi-party contexts remain relatively understudied.
Each study employed distinct longitudinal designs, offering different advantages for examining how psychosocial factors and political preferences are interrelated. Papers 1 and 2 used Norwegian data following 2,215 participants across five waves spanning 28 years, beginning in adolescence (1992) and ending in midlife (2020). Paper 3 drew on annual dyadic data from 1,613 intimate partner couples in New Zealand, followed for 10 years (2013–2022). Paper 1 used latent class growth analysis to assess how internalizing problems (depressive symptoms and anxiety) and externalizing problems (conduct problems) from adolescence to midlife related to 12 political outcomes, including political orientation, trust, and voting behavior. Paper 2 applied latent growth curve modeling to three types of self-esteem—general, social, and close friendship—to examine to what extent their developmental trajectories are associated with polarization-related attitudes including social dominance orientation, opposition to immigration, and opposition to gender equality. Paper 3 used actor–partner interdependence random-intercept cross-lagged panel models to test whether changes in one partner’s political preferences predicted changes in the other partner’s preferences the following year.
The findings provide several key insights. First, the analysis of mental health trajectories identified three classes for internalizing problems and two for externalizing problems. Individuals in the classes with high levels of either showcased lower political and social trust in midlife. Furthermore, high internalizing problems were associated with more left-leaning orientations and attitudes, while those with high externalizing problems demonstrated more right-leaning populist tendencies. Second, the self-esteem analyses showed that low self-esteem in adolescence, as well as depressed self-esteem across three decades, were associated with stronger social dominance orientation and greater opposition to immigration and gender equality. These findings were consistent across all self-esteem domains and while controlling for adolescent conservatism and other key covariates. Third, the intimate partner study demonstrated that increases in one partner’s party support predicted increases in the other partner’s support the following year. These partner effects appeared for six political parties and, with one exception, were equally strong among women and men.
Taken together, the three studies lead to two overarching conclusions about psychosocial development and political preferences in adulthood. First, adolescence is a critical period: psychosocial challenges such as internalizing or externalizing problems or low self-esteem are associated with distinct political outcomes decades later, particularly when these challenges persist beyond adolescence. Second, political attitudes continue to evolve in adulthood. Intimate partners play a role in shaping these changes. In sum, this thesis demonstrates that political attitudes and behaviors are not fixed early in life but are shaped by long-term psychosocial trajectories. Drawing on decades of longitudinal data, it provides clearer insight into how mental health, self-esteem, and interpersonal relationships relate to political preferences, while also highlighting pathways that may contribute to political polarization.
-
-
Peng, Qiyuan; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Rietveld, Cornelius A.; Ystrom, Eivind & Havdahl, Alexandra
(2025).
Parental Influence on Children’s Educational Achievements: Analysing Direct and Indirect Genetic Effects through Trio-GCTA.
bioRxiv.
doi:
https:/www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.03.691991v1.article-info.
Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
Vis sammendrag
Educational achievement is a key predictor of later-life outcomes, including financial security, social mobility, health, and mortality. Knowing its familial determinants, such as genetic predispositions, is crucial for understanding intergenerational educational mobility and addressing educational inequality. Here, we disentangle direct and indirect genetic effects on educational achievement using trio genome-wide complex trait analysis (Trio-GCTA). Leveraging up to 23,200 genotyped parent–offspring trios from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), we find that direct genetic effects explain 15-21% of the variance in educational achievements, including 8th-grade national assessments in Math, Reading, and English, and 10th-grade grade point average (GPA). Notably, indirect genetic effects additionally explain 7-15% of the variance. Both mothers and fathers exert notable influences, exceeding those suggested in previous studies. Moreover, positive gene–environment correlations between parents and offspring show that the intrafamilial environment and children’s genetic predisposition are dependent and mutually reinforcing.
Se alle arbeider i NVA
Publisert 22. okt. 2020 15:53
- Sist endret 7. juli 2025 09:44