B360 - Cigarette Smoking and Psychopathology Genetic and environmental effects on initiation and cessation among children and mothers in the ALSPAC cohort - 18/05/2006

B number: 
B360
Principal applicant name: 
Dr Carol Joinson (University of Bristol, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Dr Jon Heron (University of Bristol, UK), Prof Marcus Munafo (University of Bristol, UK), Prof Ricardo Araya (University of Bristol, UK)
Title of project: 
Cigarette Smoking and Psychopathology: Genetic and environmental effects on initiation and cessation among children and mothers in the ALSPAC cohort
Proposal summary: 

Applications are invited from suitably qualified psychology graduates to join a team investigating the development of depressive symptoms. The PhD will be undertaken in the Department of Community Based Medicine and will focus on examining the nature of the relationship between depressive symptoms and smoking.

Previous studies have found evidence for an association between depression and smoking in adolescence, but the nature and direction of the relationship is unclear. Some studies have found evidence that depressive symptoms precede the onset of smoking; others have found that smoking precedes depression, and some studies report a bi-directional relationship. The PhD student will have the opportunity to develop skills in statistical modelling of longitudinal data to model the developmental heterogeneity of depression and smoking from late childhood into adolescence and examine potential covariates including gender, behaviour and conduct problems, social adversities, stressful life events, and parent-child relationships.

The project will take advantage of the unique and extensive longitudinal data collected by ALSPAC, an ongoing longitudinal population-based study investigating a wide range of environmental and other influences on the health and development of children. Detailed information on the ALSPAC study is available on the web site: http://www.alspac.bris.ac.uk.

Data required:

Depression- Mood and feelings questionnaire (child and parent report) from 9-15 years.

Smoking- (child and parent report) from 8-15 years.

(we are aware that data from the 15/16 year questionnaire/clinic is not yet available)

Other possible data requirements: Behaviour and emotional problems- DAWBA, SDQ, antisocial behaviour questionnaire.

Social adversities and stressful life events.

Questions on parent-child relationships.

Date proposal received: 
Thursday, 18 May, 2006
Date proposal approved: 
Thursday, 18 May, 2006
Keywords: 
Depression, Environment, Genetics, Smoking
Primary keyword: