Journal article
Genetic and environmental influences on the co-morbidity between depression, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and social phobia: A twin study
MA Mosing, SD Gordon, SE Medland, DJ Statham, EC Nelson, AC Heath, NG Martin, NR Wray
Depression and Anxiety | WILEY | Published : 2009
DOI: 10.1002/da.20611
Abstract
Background: Major depression (MD) and anxiety disorders such as panic disorder (PD), agoraphobia (AG), and social phobia (SP) are heritable and highly co-morbid. However, the relative importance of genetic and environmental etiology of the covariation between these disorders, particularly the relationship between PD and AG, is less clear. Methods: This study measured MD, PD, and AG in a population sample of 5,440 twin pairs and 1,245 single twins, about 45% of whom were also scored for SP. Prevalences, within individual co-morbidity and twin odds ratios for co-morbidity, are reported. A behavioral genetic analysis of the four disorders using the classical twin design was conducted. Results: ..
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Awarded by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Funding Acknowledgements
This research was supported by grants to N. G. M. from the Australia National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC; 941177, 971232, 339450, 443011) and from NIH to A. C. H. (AA07535, AA07728, and AA10249). We thank David Smyth and Harry Beeby for computer support and James Scott for his helpful comments. Finally, this research would not be possible without the willing co-operation of twins and their families who participated in the Australian Twin Registry studies. All participants provided informed consent under study protocols approved by the Queensland Institute of Medical Research and Washington University Human Research Ethics Committees.