Loneliness is a common problem in adulthood, with deleterious effects on mental health. In the present study, we examined whether the effects of maternal rearing styles on loneliness are moderated by the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism and whether loneliness can further affect mental health as a mediator in 1034 genotyped participants. The results showed that the COMT genotype significantly moderated the relationship between maternal rejection and loneliness; more specifically, Val carriers who perceived higher levels of rejection from their mothers demonstrated higher levels of loneliness. The moderated mediation model revealed that loneliness meditated the indirect effects of maternal rejection on life satisfaction. Specifically, for individuals with the Val/Val genotype, higher rejection from their mothers had a greater influence on their life satisfaction through loneliness. In addition, we found that the effect of COMT Val158Met maternal rejection on loneliness and the effect of maternal rejection on Val/Val adults’ life satisfaction via loneliness existed across different age groups. These findings provide a new understanding of the gene–parenting interaction effect on loneliness and its influence on mental health.

孤独是成年后的普遍问题，对心理健康具有有害影响。在本研究中，我们研究了儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶（COMT）Val158Met多态性是否能缓解孕产妇养育方式对孤独感的影响，以及孤独感是否可以进一步影响1034位基因分型参与者的心理健康。结果表明，COMT基因型显着缓解了母体排斥反应与孤独感之间的关系。更具体地讲，Val携带者认为母亲的排斥程度更高，因此他们的孤独感也更高。主持人主持的调解模型显示，寂寞思考了母亲拒绝对生活满意度的间接影响。具体来说，对于具有Val / Val基因型的个体，母亲的较高拒绝感通过孤独对他们的生活满意度产生了更大的影响。此外，我们发现COMT Val158Met母体排斥对孤独感的影响以及母体排斥对Val / Val成年人通过孤独感的生活满意度的影响存在于不同年龄段。这些发现为基因-父母互动对孤独感及其对心理健康的影响提供了新的认识。