Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-mnl9s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-08-03T20:41:17.887Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Genetic and environmental determinants of the lability of trait neuroticism and the symptoms of anxiety and depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

A. J. Mackinnon ,
A. S. Henderson  and
G. Andrews
A. J. Mackinnon*
Affiliation:
NH & MRC Social Psychiatry Research Unit, Australian National University, Canberra and Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety Disorders, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
A. S. Henderson
Affiliation:
NH & MRC Social Psychiatry Research Unit, Australian National University, Canberra and Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety Disorders, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
G. Andrews
Affiliation:
NH & MRC Social Psychiatry Research Unit, Australian National University, Canberra and Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety Disorders, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr A. J. Mackinnon, NH & MRC Social Psychiatry Research Unit, Australian National University, POB 4, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Synopsis

A genetic analysis was conducted on trait neuroticism and symptoms of anxiety and depression in a five-wave study of 462 twin pairs. Models that assessed the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors to the lability (within-individual variability over time) of these measures were fitted to the data. Previous results concerning the substantial genetic involvement in the level of neuroticism and symptoms were confirmed. However, it was found that neither genes nor the shared environment of the twins was a significant cause of lability of these measures. An attempt was therefore made to identify aspects of individuals' environments that might be responsible for lability of neuroticism and symptoms. Adverse life events were found to predict variability of symptoms, but not of neuroticism. The availability of close social ties or having affectionless control in childhood did not contribute to lability.

Information

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 20 , Issue 3 , August 1990 , pp. 581 - 590
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Andrews, G., Stewart, G., Allen, R. & Henderson, A. S. (1990). The genetics of neurotic disorders: a twins study. Journal of Affeclive Disorders 19, 23–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bedford, A. & Foulds, G. A. (1978). Manual of the Delusions Symptoms Slates Inventory (State of Anxiety-Depression). NFER Publishing: Windsor.Google Scholar
Boomsma, D. I., Martin, N. G. & Neale, M. C. (1989). Genetic analysis of twin and family data: structural modeling using LISREL. Behavior Genetics 19, 5–7.Google Scholar
Boomsma, D. I. & Molenaar, P. C. M. (1986). Using LISREL to analyse genetic and environmental covariance structure. Behavior Genetics 16, 237–250.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, G. W. & Harris, T. (1978). Social Origins of Depression: A Study of Psychiatric Disorder in Women. Tavistock: London.Google Scholar
Cassel, J. (1976). The contribution of the social environment to host resistance. American Journal of Epidemiology 104, 107–123.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eaves, L. J. & Eysenck, H. J. (1976). Genetic and environmental components of inconsistency and unrepeatability in twins' responses to a neuroticism questionnaire. Behavior Genetics 6, 145–160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eysenck, H. J. & Eysenck, S. B. J. (1975). Manual of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Junior and Adult). Hodder & Stoughton: Sevenoaks, Kent.Google Scholar
Goldberg, D. (1978). Manual of the General Health Questionnaire. NFER Publishing: Windsor.Google Scholar
Henderson, A. S. (1988). An Introduction to Social Psychiatry. Oxford University Press: Oxford.Google Scholar
Henderson, A. S., Byrne, D. G. & Duncan-Jones, P. (1981). Neurosis and the Social Environment. Academic Press: Sydney.Google Scholar
Henderson, A. S., Duncan-Jones, P., Byrne, D. G. & Scott, R. (1980). Measuring social relationships: the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction. Psychological Medicine 10, 723–734.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jardine, R., Martin, N. G. & Henderson, A. S. (1984). Genetic covariation between neuroticism and the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Genetic Epidemiology 1, 89–107.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Joreskog, K. G. & Sörbom, D. (1981). LISREL User's Guide (Version VI). International Educational Resources: Chicago.Google Scholar
Kendler, K. S., Heath, A. C., Martin, N. G. & Eaves, L. J. (1987). Symptoms of anxiety and depression: same genes, different environments? Archives of General Psychiatry 44, 451–457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lord, F. M. & Novick, M. R. (1968). Statistical Theories of Mental Test Scores. Addison-Wesley: Reading, MA.Google Scholar
Parker, G. (1983). Parental Overprotection: A Risk Factor in Psychosocial Development. Grune & Stratton: New York.Google Scholar
Parker, G., Tupling, H. & Brown, L. B. (1979). A parental bonding instrument. British Journal of Medical Psychology 52, I–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Plomin, R. & Daniels, D. (1987). Why are children in the same family so different from one another? Behavioural and Brain Sciences 10, 1–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slater, E. & Slater, P. (1944). A heuristic theory of neurosis. Journal of Neurological Psychiatry 7, 49–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Torgerson, S. (1986). Genetic factors in moderately severe and mild affective disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry 43, 222–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wierzbicki, M. (1987). Similarity of monozygotic and dizygotic child twins in level and lability of subclinically depressed mood. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 57, 33–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed