TY - JOUR
T1 - Family transmission and heritability of externalizing disorders
T2 - A Twin-Family Study
AU - Hicks, Brian M.
AU - Krueger, Robert F.
AU - Iacono, William G.
AU - McGue, Matt
AU - Patrick, Christopher J.
PY - 2004/9
Y1 - 2004/9
N2 - Background: Antisocial behavior and substance dependence disorders exact a heavy financial and human cost on society. A better understanding of the mechanisms of familial transmission for these "externalizing" disorders is necessary to better understand their etiology and to help develop intervention strategies. Objectives: To determine the extent to which the family transmission of externalizing disorders is due to a general vs a disorder-specific vulnerability and, owing to the genetically informative nature of our data, to estimate the heritable vs environmental nature of these transmission effects. Design: We used structural equation modeling to simultaneously estimate the general and specific transmission effects of 4 externalizing disorders: conduct disorder, adult antisocial behavior, alcohol dependence, and drug dependence. Setting: Participants were recruited from the community and were interviewed in a university laboratory. Participants: The sample consisted of 542 families participating in the Minnesota Twin Family Study. All families included 17-year-old twins and their biological mother and father. Main Outcome Measure: Symptom counts of conduct disorder, the adult criteria for antisocial personality disorder, alcohol dependence, and drug dependence. Results: Transmission of a general vulnerability to all the externalizing disorders accounted for most familial resemblance. This general vulnerability was highly heritable (h2=0.80). Disorder-specific vulnerabilities were also detected for conduct disorder, alcohol dependence, and drug dependence. Conclusions: The mechanism underlying the familial transmission of externalizing disorders is primarily a highly heritable general vulnerability. This general vulnerability or common risk factor should be the focus of research regarding the etiology and treatment of externalizing disorders.
AB - Background: Antisocial behavior and substance dependence disorders exact a heavy financial and human cost on society. A better understanding of the mechanisms of familial transmission for these "externalizing" disorders is necessary to better understand their etiology and to help develop intervention strategies. Objectives: To determine the extent to which the family transmission of externalizing disorders is due to a general vs a disorder-specific vulnerability and, owing to the genetically informative nature of our data, to estimate the heritable vs environmental nature of these transmission effects. Design: We used structural equation modeling to simultaneously estimate the general and specific transmission effects of 4 externalizing disorders: conduct disorder, adult antisocial behavior, alcohol dependence, and drug dependence. Setting: Participants were recruited from the community and were interviewed in a university laboratory. Participants: The sample consisted of 542 families participating in the Minnesota Twin Family Study. All families included 17-year-old twins and their biological mother and father. Main Outcome Measure: Symptom counts of conduct disorder, the adult criteria for antisocial personality disorder, alcohol dependence, and drug dependence. Results: Transmission of a general vulnerability to all the externalizing disorders accounted for most familial resemblance. This general vulnerability was highly heritable (h2=0.80). Disorder-specific vulnerabilities were also detected for conduct disorder, alcohol dependence, and drug dependence. Conclusions: The mechanism underlying the familial transmission of externalizing disorders is primarily a highly heritable general vulnerability. This general vulnerability or common risk factor should be the focus of research regarding the etiology and treatment of externalizing disorders.
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U2 - 10.1001/archpsyc.61.9.922
DO - 10.1001/archpsyc.61.9.922
M3 - Article
C2 - 15351771
AN - SCOPUS:4444251068
SN - 0003-990X
VL - 61
SP - 922
EP - 928
JO - Archives of General Psychiatry
JF - Archives of General Psychiatry
IS - 9
ER -