A general population twin study of the CBCL/6-18 DSM-oriented scales.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the contributions of genetic and environmental influences to individual variation and covariation of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) DSM-oriented scales (DOS) originally proposed by Achenbach and associates in 2001.


METHODS
A classic twin study of 398 twin pairs ages 8 to 17 years belonging to the population-based Italian Twin Registry, assessed by parents using the CBCL for Ages 6 to 18 (CBCL/6-18).


RESULTS
Univariate analyses showed that compared with the classic CBCL/6-18 empirical subscales, the DOS have higher heritability (lowest 0.54 for Anxiety Problems, highest 0.71 for Conduct Problems) and simpler causal structure in that the phenotypic variance was satisfactorily explained by additive genetic and unique environmental factors only. Multivariate analyses showed that the causes of phenotypic correlation among the different DOS can be attributed to one common genetic factor and to two idiosyncratic environmental factors, each loading differently on the Internalizing (Anxiety and Affective Problems) and the Externalizing (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity, Oppositional Defiant, and Conduct Problems) CBCL/6-18 DOS.


CONCLUSIONS
Several common risk factors of both genetic and environmental nature can simultaneously affect a child's proneness to develop the psychopathological signs and symptoms captured by the CBCL/6-18 DOS.
Spatola
Chiara A M
CAM
Ms. Spatola, Ms. Presenti-Gritti, and Drs. Ogliari and Battaglia are with the Department of Psychology, "Vita-Salute," San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Mr. Fagnani and Ms. Stazi are with Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy; Dr. Battaglia is also with the Department of Child Psychiatry, Istituto Scientifico Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy; and CRURLG, Laval University, Québec, Canada.
Fagnani
Corrado
C
Ms. Spatola, Ms. Presenti-Gritti, and Drs. Ogliari and Battaglia are with the Department of Psychology, "Vita-Salute," San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Mr. Fagnani and Ms. Stazi are with Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy; Dr. Battaglia is also with the Department of Child Psychiatry, Istituto Scientifico Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy; and CRURLG, Laval University, Québec, Canada.
Pesenti-Gritti
Paola
P
Ms. Spatola, Ms. Presenti-Gritti, and Drs. Ogliari and Battaglia are with the Department of Psychology, "Vita-Salute," San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Mr. Fagnani and Ms. Stazi are with Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy; Dr. Battaglia is also with the Department of Child Psychiatry, Istituto Scientifico Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy; and CRURLG, Laval University, Québec, Canada.
Ogliari
Anna
A
Ms. Spatola, Ms. Presenti-Gritti, and Drs. Ogliari and Battaglia are with the Department of Psychology, "Vita-Salute," San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Mr. Fagnani and Ms. Stazi are with Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy; Dr. Battaglia is also with the Department of Child Psychiatry, Istituto Scientifico Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy; and CRURLG, Laval University, Québec, Canada.
Stazi
Maria-Antonietta
MA
Ms. Spatola, Ms. Presenti-Gritti, and Drs. Ogliari and Battaglia are with the Department of Psychology, "Vita-Salute," San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Mr. Fagnani and Ms. Stazi are with Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy; Dr. Battaglia is also with the Department of Child Psychiatry, Istituto Scientifico Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy; and CRURLG, Laval University, Québec, Canada.
Battaglia
Marco
M
Ms. Spatola, Ms. Presenti-Gritti, and Drs. Ogliari and Battaglia are with the Department of Psychology, "Vita-Salute," San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Mr. Fagnani and Ms. Stazi are with Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy; Dr. Battaglia is also with the Department of Child Psychiatry, Istituto Scientifico Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy; and CRURLG, Laval University, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: marco.battaglia@hsr.it.
D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D012042:Registries; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014427:Twins