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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.
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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.

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

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