title: Genetic and environmental multidimensionality of well- and ill-being in middle aged twin men.
abstract: The goals of the study were to determine the extent to which the underlying structure of different types of well-being was multidimensional and whether well- and ill-being were influenced by similar or different genetic and environmental factors. Participants were 1226 male twins ages 51-60, from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. Measures included: psychological well-being, Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire Well-Being scale (MPQWB), life satisfaction, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms. A two-orthogonal-factor common pathway model fit the data well. Psychological well-being and self-esteem loaded most strongly on Factor 1, which was highly heritable (h(2) = .79). Life satisfaction loaded most strongly on Factor 2, which was only moderately heritable (h(2) = .32). Only MPQWB had measure-specific genetic influences. Depressive symptoms loaded on both factors, and only depressive symptoms had measure-specific common environmental influences. All measures had specific unique environmental influences. Results indicate that well-being is genetically and environmentally multidimensional and that ill-being has partial overlap with both latent factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, MC0738, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. cfranz@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Carol E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Franz
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Panizzon
authors.forename: Lindon J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Eaves
authors.forename: Wesley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.forename: Kristen C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsuang
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Glatt
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kremen
mesh_terms: D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics*; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D008957:Models, Genetic; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*