Etiology of the dimensions of anxiety sensitivity: a behavioral-genetic analysis.

Full Abstract

Evidence suggests that anxiety sensitivity (AS) contributes to individual differences in fearfulness and to the risk of developing anxiety disorders. To investigate the origins of AS we administered the Anxiety Sensitivity Index to 245 monozygotic and 193 dizygotic twin pairs, comprising 658 women and 218 men. Scores were calculated for the most widely replicated AS dimensions; physical, cognitive, and social concerns. For women, each dimension was influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Heritability in women significantly increased with AS scores, indicating that severe forms of AS, compared to milder forms, are more strongly influenced by genetic factors. Correlations among AS dimensions for women could be explained by genetic and environmental factors influencing all three dimensions. For men, dimensions were influenced by environmental but not genetic factors. Correlations among dimensions for men could be explained by environmental factors influencing all dimensions. Overall, the findings reveal that AS has more complex etiology than previously recognized; its dimensions appear to arise from a mix of dimension-specific and non-specific etiologic factors, whose importance vary as a function of sex and severity.

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Author information

Author/s: Taylor, Steven (S); Jang, Kerry L (KL); Stewart, Sherry H (SH); Stein, Murray B (MB);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada. taylor@unixg.ubc.ca

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Twin Study

Journal: Journal of anxiety disorders (J Anxiety Disord), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Jun; vol 22 (issue 5) : pp 899-914

Dates: Created 2008/05/13; Completed 2008/09/03;

PMID: 18029140, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Anxiety - diagnosis; etiology; genetics
Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; etiology; genetics
Diseases in Twins - diagnosis; etiology; genetics
Female
Genetics, Behavioral
Humans

Individuality
Male
Middle Aged
Personality - classification; genetics
Questionnaires
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Social Environment
Twins, Dizygotic - genetics; psychology
Twins, Monozygotic - genetics; psychology

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