Association of recent stressful life events with mental and physical health in the context of genomic and exposomic liability for schizophrenia

Via performing the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study–2, a population-based cohort study, researchers sought to ascertain if polygenic risk and exposome scores for schizophrenia moderate the association of adulthood life stress with mental and physical health. From November 5, 2007, to July 31, 2009, 6,646 participants (mean age at baseline: 44.26 (12.54) years; 3,672 (55.25%) were female) were included at baseline. Three assessments were performed at follow up during 9 years. Findings yielded novel evidence of the correlations of genetic and environmental liability for schizophrenia with mental health in the general population. Poor outcomes, particularly mental health, were reported in correlation with both genetic and environmental liability. Exposome score but not polygenic risk score for schizophrenia moderated the correlation between stressful life events and health outcomes. These findings of a correlation between adulthood stressful life events and lifetime exposomic liability provide further support to the diathesis-stress model.