The genetics of six neurotic disorders: a twin study.
Persons who had met criteria for specific anxiety or depressive neuroses during their lifetime were identified from a sample of 446 pairs of adult twins. Although there was a genetic contribution to neuroticism and to symptoms, there was no inheritance of specific disorders. This concurs with previous work in a sample from the same Australian Twin Registry and with those from a Norwegian sample. It is concluded that while there is a genetic contribution to the predisposing trait, and therefore to the intermittent appearance of symptoms, this contribution is obscured by the grouping of symptoms into diagnoses and by the help seeking which is a prerequisite to clinical diagnosis.
Andrews
G
G
Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety Disorders, University of New South Wales, St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Stewart
G
G
Allen
R
R
Henderson
A S
AS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000235:genetics; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D009517:New South Wales; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000235:genetics; D010200:Panic; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics