Stress is a risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders and the vulnerability-stress approach is used to study psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia. Early-life gene-environment interactions may shape future responses, thus leading to vulnerability or resilience to extremely stressful exposures. In this framework, we have examined two SNPs in genes involved in stress responses, namely the co-chaperone FKBP5 and the serotonin transporter SLC6A4, as well as the polymorphic region 5-HTTLPR in the promoter of SCL6A4, in well-characterized, drug naïve individuals who have experienced a first episode of psychosis (FEP) and matched controls. DNA from peripheral blood samples was collected in collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry of the Ioannina University Hospital and analyzed by PCR-RFLP or SNP genotyping. Our preliminary data indicate a trend for higher prevalence of the C/C allele (rs1360780, FKBP5) among FEP individuals. Future work includes the validation of our data in a larger population sample, examination of other SNPs in HPA axis-related genes as well as correlations with demographic characteristics. Our work contributes to the detection of underlying molecular mechanisms implicated in first episode psychosis and highlights the impact of genetic variability and individual differences in stress responses and the pathogenesis of psychosis.