Exploring the Genomic Architectures of Health, Physical Traits and Antisocial Behavioral Outcomes: A Brief Report

Abstract

A widely replicated finding across the behavioral sciences is that antisocial behaviors correlate with an array of health problems. Less clear, however, is the precise nature of this association. There is reason to suspect that a direct causal link exists between incarceration—a consequence of some antisocial behaviors—and certain negative health outcomes, for instance. However, it might be the case that broader phenotypes like antisocial behavior may correlate with certain health and physiological traits at a genomic level. We explore this possibility from a theoretical vantage point, while also presenting some preliminary data from existing secondary sources. Tentatively, no significant genetic correlations emerged across a host of health, physiological, and wellbeing outcomes after correction for multiple testing. However, more work is needed exploring this topic. We propose that future studies should make use of larger, more diverse samples and examine the genetic overlap between homogeneous clusters of antisocial behavioral subtypes and disease traits or symptoms.