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Genetic and environmental influences on the co-morbidity between depression, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and social phobia: a twin study.
- Source :
-
Depression and anxiety [Depress Anxiety] 2009; Vol. 26 (11), pp. 1004-11. - Publication Year :
- 2009
-
Abstract
- Background: Major depression (MD) and anxiety disorders such as panic disorder (PD), agoraphobia (AG), and social phobia (SP) are heritable and highly co-morbid. However, the relative importance of genetic and environmental etiology of the covariation between these disorders, particularly the relationship between PD and AG, is less clear.<br />Methods: This study measured MD, PD, and AG in a population sample of 5,440 twin pairs and 1,245 single twins, about 45% of whom were also scored for SP. Prevalences, within individual co-morbidity and twin odds ratios for co-morbidity, are reported. A behavioral genetic analysis of the four disorders using the classical twin design was conducted.<br />Results: Odds ratios for MD, PD, AG, and SP in twins of individuals diagnosed with one of the four disorders were increased. Heritability estimates under a threshold-liability model for MD, PD, AG, and SP respectively were .33 (CI: 0.30-0.42), .38 (CI: 0.24-0.55), .48 (CI: 0.37-0.65), and .39 (CI: 0.16-0.65), with no evidence for any variance explained by the common environment shared by twins. We find that a common genetic factor explains a moderate proportion of variance in these four disorders. The genetic correlation between PD and AG was .83.<br />Conclusion: MD, PD, AG, and SP strongly co-aggregate within families and common genetic factors explain a moderate proportion of variance in these four disorders. The high genetic correlation between PD and AG and the increased odds ratio for PD and AG in siblings of those with AG without PD suggests a common genetic etiology for PD and AG.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Agoraphobia diagnosis
Agoraphobia psychology
Comorbidity
Depressive Disorder, Major diagnosis
Depressive Disorder, Major psychology
Diseases in Twins psychology
Female
Genetic Predisposition to Disease genetics
Humans
Interview, Psychological
Male
Middle Aged
Models, Genetic
Multivariate Analysis
Panic Disorder diagnosis
Panic Disorder psychology
Phenotype
Phobic Disorders diagnosis
Phobic Disorders psychology
Queensland
Statistics as Topic
Young Adult
Agoraphobia genetics
Depressive Disorder, Major genetics
Diseases in Twins genetics
Genome-Wide Association Study
Panic Disorder genetics
Phobic Disorders genetics
Social Environment
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1520-6394
- Volume :
- 26
- Issue :
- 11
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Depression and anxiety
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 19750555
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20611