Genetic predictors of interpersonal dependence

Abstract

For several decades, numerous scientific discussions about the definition and essence of the codependency phenomenon have been ongoing. At the same time, some researchers note a close relationship between this phenomenon and the concept of interpersonal dependence, considering its destructive and positive impact on personality. The relevance and value of the conducted research lies in the fact that despite numerous studies, including interdisciplinary ones, the question about the nature of interpersonal dependence remains open. The aim is to study the differences in levels of interpersonal dependence in different polymorphic variants of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) genes. An interdisciplinary molecular genetic and psychological study of 132 women with drug addiction in remission for more than two years was conducted. As a psychological tool was used, “The Interpersonal Dependency Inventory” developed by R. Hirschfield and adapted by O.P. Makushina was used. For determining the polymorphic variants of candidate genes, a method of isolating genomic DNA from buccal epithelial cells was used. The candidate genes considered were genotypes and alleles of the neurotransmitter pathways COMT and DRD2. For statistical processing of the obtained data, the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test was used. Substantial differences were found between the levels of interpersonal dependence in the genotypes VV and VM of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme; a trend of statistically significant differences was detected between the levels of interpersonal dependence in the genotypes CT and TT of the DRD2 gene. The features identified during the study should be taken into account in the process of carrying out psychological and preventive measures for people with addictive behaviour.