The role of childhood adversities, FKBP5, BDNF, NRN1, and generalized self-efficacy in suicide attempts in alcohol-dependent patients

BACKGROUND: Alcohol-dependent (AD) patients report higher number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), develop poor social skills, and have a higher rate of suicide attempts than the general population. We hypothesize that the association between ACEs and lifetime suicide attempts in AD patients is mediated by generalized self-efficacy and selected functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in the stress response and neuroplasticity, including: FKBP5 rs1360780, BDNF rs6265, and NRN1 rs1475157. METHODS: 176 AD patients and 127 healthy controls self-reported ACEs with the ACE Study questionnaire and three additional questions that inquired about ACE categories of acute stress; generalized self-efficacy—with the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale. Genotyping for the three analysed SNPs was performed according to the manufacturer’s standard PCR protocol. Hypotheses were tested with bivariate analyses, multiple regression model, and mediation models. RESULTS: Higher levels of generalized self-efficacy were associated with a blunted effect of ACEs on the risk of suicide attempts. The prevalence of the three analyzed SNPs genotypes and alleles did not differ between AD patients with a positive vs. negative lifetime history of suicide attempt and was not associated with GSES scoring. CONCLUSIONS: Generalized self-efficacy should be considered as a target for psychotherapeutic interventions aimed at reducing the risk of suicide attempts in AD patients who were exposed to childhood victimization. The negative results concerning the hypothesized role of the three analysed SNPs should be carefully interpreted due to the relatively small study sample, but represent a theoretical foundation for further research studies with larger study samples. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s43440-020-00080-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.