Gaining a better understanding of the trajectories of anxiety and depression in young people: a longitudinal, intergenerational, and genetically informed perspective

THE CONTEXT

Over the past two decades, a marked increase in high levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms has been observed among adolescents and young adults, affecting up to 40% of this population according to large population surveys.

The project will use data from more than 2,400 young adults in Quebec aged around 30, who have been followed since birth as part of the ÉLDEQ (Orri et al., 2020) and ÉJNQ (Boivin et al., 2019) longitudinal cohorts. It will also use data from more than 3,500 families (mother, father, and child) in the Quebec City region who have given birth to a child since 2020 as part of the PREVENTION cohort.

THE PROJECT

This research program aims to understand the determinants of anxiety and depression trajectories in young people:

• Identify genetic and environmental factors influencing trajectories from adolescence to adulthood;
• Examine the mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of these disorders;
• Compare children born in the 1990s with those born after 2020.

Drawing on longitudinal data from large cohorts and new genetic data, the project explores the role of social, cultural, and technological factors, gene-environment interaction, and sensitive developmental periods. It builds on existing infrastructure and international collaborations to guide prevention and early intervention strategies.

The project differs from previous work in:

1) its longitudinal approach, which follows participants from early adolescence to adulthood, a period that has been little studied in existing longitudinal cohorts;

2) its intergenerational perspective, which provides a better understanding of transmission from parent to child thanks to the available family data;

3) its genetically informative hypothesis, to distinguish between the respective roles of genetic and environmental factors, given the high heritability of anxiety and depression.

POTENTIAL IMPACT ON CHILDREN’S HEALTH

The project will contribute to a better understanding of the risk factors, including environmental, genetic, intergenerational, and perinatal factors, that underlie the emergence and persistence of anxiety and depression in today’s youth. This knowledge will provide a better understanding of the impact of mental health disorders on the psychosocial functioning of young adults. It will support investment in their recognition and prevention, facilitate the early identification of at-risk youth, and guide the development of more targeted, personalized, and effective prevention strategies.

This research is part of a project for a research chair on youth health and well-being, for which Dr. Morneau-Vaillancourt is the recipient. This university-hospital research chair project is an initiative of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Sherbrooke and has an ambitious vision: to provide long-term support for research, develop concrete solutions, and train a new generation of researchers who will have a direct and profound impact on the lives of children, adolescents, and their families.