Genetic and environmental influences on relationship between anxiety sensitivity and anxiety subscales in children. 2013

M A Waszczuk, and H M S Zavos, and T C Eley
King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, UK. monika.waszczuk@kcl.ac.uk

Anxiety sensitivity, a belief that symptoms of anxiety are harmful, has been proposed to influence development of panic disorder. Recent research suggests it may be a vulnerability factor for many anxiety subtypes. Moderate genetic influences have been implicated for both anxiety sensitivity and anxiety, however, little is known about the aetiology of the relationship between these traits in children. Self-reports of anxiety sensitivity and anxiety symptoms were collected from approximately 300 twin pairs at two time points. Partial correlations indicated that anxiety sensitivity at age 8 was broadly associated with most anxiety subtypes at age 10 (r=0.11-0.17, p<0.05). The associations were largely unidirectional, underpinned by stable genetic influences. Non-shared environment had unique influences on variables. Phenotypic results showed that anxiety sensitivity is a broad predictor of anxiety symptoms in childhood. Genetic results suggest that childhood is a developmental period characterised by genetic stability and time-specific environmental influences on anxiety-related traits.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010641 Phenotype The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment. Phenotypes
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D004200 Diseases in Twins Disorders affecting TWINS, one or both, at any age. Diseases in Twin,Twin, Diseases in,Twins, Diseases in,in Twin, Diseases,in Twins, Diseases
D004777 Environment The external elements and conditions which surround, influence, and affect the life and development of an organism or population. Environmental Impact,Environmental Impacts,Impact, Environmental,Impacts, Environmental,Environments
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001008 Anxiety Disorders Persistent and disabling ANXIETY. Anxiety Neuroses,Anxiety States, Neurotic,Neuroses, Anxiety,Anxiety Disorder,Anxiety State, Neurotic,Disorder, Anxiety,Disorders, Anxiety,Neurotic Anxiety State,Neurotic Anxiety States,State, Neurotic Anxiety,States, Neurotic Anxiety
D014427 Twins Two individuals derived from two FETUSES that were fertilized at or about the same time, developed in the UTERUS simultaneously, and born to the same mother. Twins are either monozygotic (TWINS, MONOZYGOTIC) or dizygotic (TWINS, DIZYGOTIC). Twin

Related Publications

M A Waszczuk, and H M S Zavos, and T C Eley
September 2017, Zhonghua liu xing bing xue za zhi = Zhonghua liuxingbingxue zazhi,
M A Waszczuk, and H M S Zavos, and T C Eley
January 1999, Journal of anxiety disorders,
M A Waszczuk, and H M S Zavos, and T C Eley
June 2013, Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research,
M A Waszczuk, and H M S Zavos, and T C Eley
October 2016, Archivos argentinos de pediatria,
M A Waszczuk, and H M S Zavos, and T C Eley
March 2007, Addiction (Abingdon, England),
M A Waszczuk, and H M S Zavos, and T C Eley
December 2011, Twin research and human genetics : the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies,
M A Waszczuk, and H M S Zavos, and T C Eley
February 2019, Twin research and human genetics : the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies,
M A Waszczuk, and H M S Zavos, and T C Eley
May 2012, Journal of anxiety disorders,
M A Waszczuk, and H M S Zavos, and T C Eley
September 2005, Behavior genetics,
Copied contents to your clipboard!