Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009 Oct;195(4):301-7.
doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.059485.

Structure of genetic and environmental risk factors for dimensional representations of DSM-IV anxiety disorders

Kristian Tambs  1 , Nikolai Czajkowsky, Espen Røysamb, Michael C Neale, Ted Reichborn-Kjennerud, Steven H Aggen, Jennifer R Harris, Ragnhild E Ørstavik, Kenneth S Kendler
Affiliations

Structure of genetic and environmental risk factors for dimensional representations of DSM-IV anxiety disorders

Kristian Tambs et al. Br J Psychiatry. 2009 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Twin data permit decomposition of comorbidity into genetically and environmentally derived correlations. No previous twin study includes all major forms of anxiety disorder.

Aims: To estimate the degree to which genetic and environmental risk factors are shared rather than unique to dimensionally scored panic disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Method: Data obtained from 2801 young-adult Norwegian twins by means of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview were analysed with the Mx program.

Results: A multivariate common factor model fitted best. The latent liability to all anxiety disorders was substantially more heritable (54%) than the individual disorders (23% to 40%). Most of the genetic effect was common to the disorders. Genes contributed just over 50% to the covariance between liabilities.

Conclusions: The five anxiety disorders all share genetic and environmental risk factors. This has implications for the revision of the anxiety disorder section in DSM-V.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interest: None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Parameter estimates for five anxiety disorders from a full multivariate common pathway model. A, additive genetic factors; C, environmental factors shared by co-twins; E, environmental non-shared factors; GAD, generalised anxiety disorder; OCD, obsessive–compulsive disorder; PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder. Subscripts Pa, G, Ph, O and Pt denote panic, GAD, phobias, OCD and PTSD respectively; subscript C denotes ‘common’ (i.e. common to all disorders). Note: some of the confidence intervals are approximate.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Middeldorp CM, Birley AJ, Cath DC, Gillespie NA, Willemsen G, Statham DJ, et al. Familial clustering of major depression and anxiety disorders in Australian and Dutch twins and siblings. Twin Res Hum Genet. 2005;8:609–15. - PubMed
    1. Hettema JM, Neale MC, Kendler KS. A review and meta-analysis of the genetic epidemiology of anxiety disorders. Am J Psychiatry. 2001;158:1568–78. - PubMed
    1. Chantarujikapong SI, Scherrer JF, Xian H, Eisen SA, Lyons MJ, Goldberg J, et al. A twin study of generalized anxiety disorder symptoms, panic disorder symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder in men. Psychiatry Res. 2001;103:133–45. - PubMed
    1. Hettema JM, Prescott CA, Myers JM, Neale MC, Kendler KS. The structure of genetic and environmental risk factors for anxiety disorders in men and women. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62:182–9. - PubMed
    1. Kendler KS, Gardner CO, Prescott CA. Panic syndromes in a population-based sample of male and female twins. Psychol Med. 2001;31:989–1000. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms