title: Genetic influences on alexithymia and their relationship with depressive symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The factors involved in the etiology of alexithymia are still unclear. While a few studies suggested substantial genetic influences on alexithymia, it remains to be determined if these influences are independent of genetic influences on other mental health variables correlated with alexithymia, such as depression. This study is aimed at confirming previous findings of a genetic contribution to alexithymia, examining whether there are genetic or environmental influences common to alexithymia facets, and investigating whether genetic influences on alexithymia are independent of genetic influences on depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and a validated measure of depression were administered to a sample of 729 twins (45% males) aged 23-24 years drawn from the population-based Italian Twin Register. Genetic structural equation modeling was performed with the Mx program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genetic factors accounted for 42% of individual differences in alexithymia. Unshared environmental factors explained the remaining proportion of variance. There was a substantial (0.65) genetic correlation between alexithymia and depression. The inclusion of depression as a covariate in the genetic models reduced the heritability estimate for alexithymia to 33%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite some limitations, this study corroborates the notion that genetic factors contribute substantially to individual differences in alexithymia, with unshared environmental factors also playing an important role. Also, it suggests a genetic link between alexithymia and depression.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Unit, Centre of Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy. angelo.picardi@iss.it
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Picardi
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fagnani
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gigantesco
authors.forename: Virgilia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Toccaceli
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lega
authors.forename: Maria Antonietta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Stazi
mesh_terms: D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000235:genetics*; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012042:Registries; D012931:Social Environment; D014427:Twins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult