title: Three-and-a-half-factor model? The genetic and environmental structure of the CBCL/6-18 internalizing grouping.
abstract: In the present article, multivariate genetic item analyses were employed to address questions regarding the ontology and the genetic and environmental etiology of the Anxious/Depressed, Withdrawn, and Somatic Complaints syndrome dimensions of the Internalizing grouping of the Child Behavior Checklist/6-18 (CBCL/6-18). Using common and independent pathway genetic factor modeling, it was examined whether these syndrome dimensions can be ascribed a realist ontology. Subsequently, the structures of the genetic and environmental influences giving rise to the observed symptom covariation were examined. Maternal ratings of a population-based sample of 17,511 Dutch twins of mean age 7.4 (SD = 0.4) on the items of the Internalizing grouping of the Dutch CBCL/6-18 were analyzed. Applications of common and independent pathway modeling demonstrated that the Internalizing syndrome dimensions may be better understood as a composite of unconstrained genetic and environmental influences than as causally relevant entities generating the observed symptom covariation. Furthermore, the results indicate a common genetic basis for anxiety, depression, and withdrawn behavior, with the distinction between these syndromes being driven by the individual-specific environment. Implications for the substantive interpretation of these syndrome dimensions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, s.franic@vu.nl.
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franić
authors.forename: Conor V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Dolan
authors.forename: Denny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Borsboom
authors.forename: Catherina E M
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: van Beijsterveldt
authors.forename: Dorret I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Boomsma
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic