Genetic influences may rely on environmental context, and as such gene-environment interplay, including gene-environment interaction (GxE) and gene-environment correlation, is likely to influence SUD. Gene-environment interaction refers to differences in genetic effects across levels of environmental exposure. A statistical GxE will be detected when there are functional genetic differences in sensitivity to an environment (Mather & Jinks, 1971). Gene-environment correlation occurs because parents and their children share genes and home environments and as such, parental genetic risk may also contribute to environmental risk in their children.
