Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Childhood–A Genetic Study of Comorbidity
Journal of Child Psychology and PsychiatryPublished 1 September 1997
Anita Thapar, Peter McGuffin
Citations106
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SJR score2.99
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TL;DR
A systematically ascertained sample of 172 twin pairs is used to examine the causes of covariation of maternally rated anxiety and depressive symptoms and suggests that most of the covariation can be explained by a common set of genes that influence anxiety and depression symptoms.
Abstract
Anxiety and depressive symptoms commonly co-occur yet the underlying mechanisms for this covariation remain poorly understood. Genetic strategies are a useful means of investigating whether the comorbidity of two sets of symptoms or disorders can be explained by the same aetiological factors. In this paper we use a systematically ascertained sample of 172 twin pairs aged 8 to 16 years to examine the causes of covariation of maternally rated anxiety and depressive symptoms. The results suggest that most of the covariation can be explained by a common set of genes that influence anxiety and depressive symptoms. Some covariation between anxiety and depressive symptoms is also explained by environmental influences of the non-shared type. In addition, depressive symptoms also appear to be influenced by specific genetic factors.
Keywords
PsychologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
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