AUTHOR=Jung Sonja , Sindermann Cornelia , Lachmann Bernd , Montag Christian 

TITLE=rs2572431 Polymorphism on Chromosome 8 Is Associated With Individual Differences in Anxiety Related Coping Modes

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01451

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01451

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objective</title><p>The role of genetic factors in the interplay between anxiety-related coping and personality has been the subject of interest in numerous previous studies. The current study focused on anxiety-related coping modes, namely repression versus sensitization (i.e., cognitive avoidance versus vigilance), and the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2572431. An association between this SNP and anxiety-related personality traits has previously been shown in a genome wide association study, thus further investigation of the relationship between this SNP and anxiety-related coping seems warranted.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>In the present study, <italic>N</italic> = 880 mostly Caucasian participants (<italic>n</italic> = 269 males and <italic>n</italic> = 611 females; mean-age: 23.88, <italic>SD</italic> = 7.19) filled in a personality questionnaire assessing individual differences in cognitive avoidance and vigilance, and all participants were genotyped for rs2572431.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Participants homozygous for the T-allele in rs2572431 showed the highest vigilance scores in all scenarios tested. This is in line with findings from an earlier genome wide association study demonstrating that the T-allele is also associated with higher neuroticism scores.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>The current study yields evidence for the role of rs2572431 in the molecular genetic underpinnings of coping modes and, more broadly, for its connection with personality.</p></sec>