Delineating how genetic and environmental factors interact during development is essential to improve our understanding of causes of psychopathology (Thapar, Harold, Rice, Langley, & O’Donovan, 2007). The familiar “stress-diathesis” framework arose from the recognition that individuals possess varying degrees of vulnerability or resilience to environmental stressors. Twin studies have supported the role of G×E interaction in several different disorders. For example, studies have found that adverse life events are more likely to result in depression in both adults and adolescent girls who are also at genetic risk (Kendler et al., 1995; Silberg, Rutter, Neale, & Eaves, 2001). Children are more likely to exhibit antisocial behavior if they have both a genetic risk and a history of adverse early experiences, compared to children with either risk factor separately (Cadoret, Cain, & Crowe, 1983).
