CONTACT US: Contact info
|
Citation |
Kendler KS, Gardner CO, Annas P, Lichtenstein P. Psychol. Med. 2008; 1-11. |
|
Affiliation |
Department of Human Genetics, Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. |
|
Copyright |
(Copyright © 2008, Cambridge University Press) |
|
DOI |
|
PMID |
18294421 |
|
Abstract |
BACKGROUND: Common fears change over development. Genetic and environmental risk factors for fears are partly shared across fears and partly fear-specific. The nature of the changes in common and fear-specific genetic and environmental risk factors over time is unknown.MethodSelf-reported fears were obtained at ages 13-14, 16-17 and 19-20 from 2404 twins in the Swedish Twin Study of Child and Adolescent Development. A multivariate longitudinal twin analysis was conducted with Mx. RESULTS: Eighteen individual items formed four fear factors: animal, blood-injury, situational, and social. The best-fit model had no quantitative or qualitative sex effects or shared environmental effects, but included a strong common factor with a stable cross-time structure with highest loadings on situational and lowest loadings on social fears. New common and fear-specific genetic risk factors emerged over development. With increasing age, genetic effects declined in overall importance and became more fear-specific. Cross-time continuity in specific genetic effects was highest for animal and lowest for social fears. Social fears had a 'burst' of specific genetic effects in late adolescence. Individual-specific environmental factors impacted both on the general fear factor and on specific fears. Compared to genetic effects, the impact of the unique environment was more time-specific. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic and environmental risk factors for individual fears are partly mediated through a common fear factor and are partly fear-specific in their effect. The developmental pattern of these risk factors is complex and dynamic with new common and specific genetic effects arising in late adolescence and early adulthood. Language: en |