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The Genetic and Environmental Effects on Depressive Symptoms Among Older Female Twins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Sanna Takkinen ,
Asko Tolvanen ,
Jaakko Kaprio ,
Stig Berg ,
Markku Koskenvuo  and
Taina Rantanen
Sanna Takkinen*
Affiliation:
Institute of Gerontology, School of Health Sciences, Jönköping, Sweden. sata@hhj.hj.se
Asko Tolvanen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
Jaakko Kaprio
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland; Department of Mental Health, National Public Health Institute, Finland.
Stig Berg
Affiliation:
Institute of Gerontology, School of Health Sciences, Jönköping, Sweden; Center for Developmental and Health Genetics,The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States of America.
Markku Koskenvuo
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Finland.
Taina Rantanen
Affiliation:
Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland; The Finnish Centre for Interdisciplinary Gerontology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
*
*Address for correspondence: Sanna Takkinen, Institute of Gerontology, School of Health Sciences, PO Box 1026, 55111 Jönköping, Sweden.

Abstract

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The aim of the present study was to examine the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to depressive symptoms among older women. The participants were 102 monozygotic and 115 dizygotic female twin pairs aged 64 to 76 years. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for the Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. The contribution of genetic and environmental effects was estimated for the constructed depressiveness factor and for the subscales which were depressed mood, psychomotor retardation, lack of wellbeing and interpersonal difficulties. Of the variance in depressiveness, shared environmental influences accounted for 39% and nonshared environmental influences 61%. For the subscales, 24% to 62% of the variance was explained by individual, and 13% to 23% by shared, environmental factors. Lack of well-being had its own moderate additive genetic effect explaining 30% of the variance. This study showed that in older women predominantly environmental factors underlay individual differences in depressiveness; however, the factors varied to some extent between dimensions measured by the subscales.

Type
Articles
Information
Twin Research and Human Genetics , Volume 7 , Issue 6 , 01 December 2004 , pp. 626 - 636
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004