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Twin and Genetic Effects on Life Events

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Christel M. Middeldorp*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. cm.middeldorp@psy.vu.nl
Danielle C. Cath
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Jacqueline M. Vink
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Dorret I. Boomsma
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
*
*Address for correspondence: Christel M. Middeldorp, Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Abstract

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Twin studies that examine the effect of specific environmental risk factors on psychiatric disorders assume that there are no differences in prevalences of these risk factors between twins and singletons. Violation of this assumption signifies that the results from twin studies might not generalize to singletons. Another assumption, not only often underlying twin studies but also epidemiological research, is that life- events are not influenced by familial factors. We tested differences in prevalences of experienced life events in a Dutch sample of 2086 monozygotic (MZ) twins, 2090 dizygotic (DZ) twins and 1307 of their siblings. Self-reported data on life events (illness of self, illness of a significant other, spouse/romantic relationship, divorce/break-up of a relationship, death of a significant other, traffic accident, robbery, violent assault, sexual assault) were available from a survey- study. We further investigated whether familial resemblance was present for the exposure to these life events and, if so, whether this resemblance was due to genetic or common environmental factors. No differences were found in the prevalences of life events between MZ twins, DZ twins and their siblings. There was evidence for familial aggregation of all life events, except for traffic accidents in women. Results indicated genetic control on the presence of a spouse or involvement in a relationship. Familial resemblance of illness and death of a significant other was mainly due to common environment. For the other life events, it was not possible to distinguish between genetic and common environmental effects.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005