This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Same Genes, Different Environments?

Kenneth S. Kendler, MD; Andrew C. Heath, DPhil; Nicholas G. Martin, PhD; Lindon J. Eaves, DSc

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1987;44(5):451-457.

Abstract
• While traditional multivariate statistical methods can describe patterns of psychiatric symptoms, they cannot provide insight into why certain symptoms tend to co-occur in a population. However, this can be achieved using recently developed methods of multivariate genetic analysis. Examining self-report symptoms in a clinically unselected twin sample (3798 pairs), traditional factor analysis indicates that symptoms of depression and anxiety tend to form separate symptom clusters. Multivariate genetic analysis shows that genes act largely in a nonspecific way to influence the overall level of psychiatric symptoms. No evidence could be found for genes that specifically affect symptoms of depression without also strongly influencing symptoms of anxiety. By contrast, the environment seems to have specific effects, ie, certain features of the environment strongly influence symptoms of anxiety while having little impact on symptoms of depression. These results, which are replicated across sexes, suggest that the separable anxiety and depression symptom clusters in the general population are largely the result of environmental factors.

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Psychiatry (Dr Kendler) and Human Genetics (Drs Kendler, Heath, Martin, and Eaves), Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond. Dr Martin is now with Queensland Institute for Medical Research, Herston, Queensland, Australia.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Aug 29, 1986.

Reprint requests to Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 710, Richmond, VA 23298 (Dr Kendler).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Political Science, Biometric Theory, and Twin Studies: A Methodological Introduction
Medland and Hatemi
POLIT ANAL 2009;17:191-214.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Depression Among Alumni of Foster Care: Decreasing Rates Through Improvement of Experiences in Care
White et al.
Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders 2009;17:38-48.
ABSTRACT  

A Genetically Informed Study of the Association Between Childhood Separation Anxiety, Sensitivity to CO2, Panic Disorder, and the Effect of Childhood Parental Loss
Battaglia et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2009;66:64-71.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Structure of Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for DSM-IV Personality Disorders: A Multivariate Twin Study
Kendler et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2008;65:1438-1446.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Specificity of Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Symptoms of Cannabis, Cocaine, Alcohol, Caffeine, and Nicotine Dependence
Kendler et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2007;64:1313-1320.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

"A Gene for. . .":The Nature of Gene Action in Psychiatric Disorders
Kendler
Focus 2006;4:391.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

"A Gene for...": The Nature of Gene Action in Psychiatric Disorders
Kendler
Am. J. Psychiatry 2005;162:1243-1252.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Structure of Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Anxiety Disorders in Men and Women
Hettema et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2005;62:182-189.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Major Depression and Generalised Anxiety Disorder: Same Genes, (Partly) Different Environments--Revisited
Kendler
Focus 2004;2:416-425.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Psychopharmacology in a Globalizing World: The Use of Antidepressants in Japan
Kirmayer
Transcultural Psychiatry 2002;39:295-322.
ABSTRACT  

Risk Factors for 12-Month Comorbidity of Mood, Anxiety, and Substance Use Disorders: Findings From the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study
de Graaf et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2002;159:620-629.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Evidence for Genetic Mediation of Executive Control: A Study of Aging Male Twins
Swan and Carmelli
Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Science 2002;57:P133-143.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Twin Studies of Psychiatric Illness: An Update
Kendler
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2001;58:1005-1014.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Nature, nurture and mental disorder: old concepts in the new millennium
COOPER
Br. J. Psychiatry 2001;178 :s91-s101.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Genetic Epidemiology of Irrational Fears and Phobias in Men
Kendler et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2001;58:257-265.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A Controlled Study of Behavioral Inhibition in Children of Parents With Panic Disorder and Depression
Rosenbaum et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2000;157:2002-2010.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A Multidimensional Twin Study of Mental Health in Women
Kendler et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2000;157:506-513.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Empirical Examination of Current Depression Categories in a Population-Based Study: Symptoms, Course, and Risk Factors
Chen et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2000;157:573-580.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Anxiety and Depression in Later Life: Co-Occurrence and Communality of Risk Factors
Beekman et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2000;157:89-95.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Panic and Phobic Anxiety: Defining Phenotypes for Genetic Studies
Smoller and Tsuang
Am. J. Psychiatry 1998;155:1152-1162.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Natural History of Male Psychological Health, XIV: Relationship of Mood Disorder Vulnerability to Physical Health
Vaillant
Am. J. Psychiatry 1998;155:184-191.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Personality, depression, and premorbid lifestyle in twin pairs discordant for Parkinson's disease
Heberlein et al.
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 1998;64:262-266.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Structure of the Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Six Major Psychiatric Disorders in Women: Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Bulimia, Major Depression, and Alcoholism
Kendler et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1995;52:374-383.
ABSTRACT  

Antidepressants for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Placebo-Controlled Comparison of Imipramine, Trazodone, and Diazepam
Rickels et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1993;50:884-895.
ABSTRACT  

Twin Studies of Psychiatric Illness: Current Status and Future Directions
Kendler
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1993;50:905-915.
ABSTRACT  

Sending Your Teenagers Away: Controlled Stress Decreases Neurotic Vulnerability
Andrews et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1993;50:585-589.
ABSTRACT  

A Direct Interview Family Study of Social Phobia
Fyer et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1993;50:286-293.
ABSTRACT  

An Intriguing Association Between Ancestral Mortality and Male Affective Disorder
Vaillant et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1992;49:709-715.
ABSTRACT  

Major Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Same Genes, (Partly) Different Environments?
Kendler et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1992;49:716-722.
ABSTRACT  

The Genetic Epidemiology of Phobias in Women: The Interrelationship of Agoraphobia, Social Phobia, Situational Phobia, and Simple Phobia
Kendler et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1992;49:273-281.
ABSTRACT  

Introduction
EATON and BOHRNSTEDT
Sociological Methods Research 1989;18:4-18.
 

Epidemiological Approaches to Developmental Psychopathology
Rutter
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1988;45:486-495.
ABSTRACT  

Family and Genetic Studies of Affective Disorders
Blehar et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1988;45:289-292.
ABSTRACT  

Big Genes, Little Genes, Affective Disorder, and Anxiety: A Commentary
Carey
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1987;44:486-491.
ABSTRACT