Behavioral genetic analyses of self-reported anxiety at 7 years of age.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct behavioral genetic analyses of self-reported childhood anxiety at 7 years of age. METHOD: Three hundred twenty-six same-sex twin pairs (174 monozygotic, 152 dizygotic) completed the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale at 7 years of age. Behavioral genetic analyses were conducted on the total and subscale scores. RESULTS: Monozygotic within-pair correlations were higher than dizygotic correlations for physiological and social anxiety symptoms, suggesting heritable influences on these aspects. These results were found to be statistically significant with structural equation modeling. CONCLUSION: Certain symptoms of self-reported anxiety in children 7 years of age seem to result, at least in part, from genetic factors. Physiological and social anxiety symptoms, which may be related to behavioral inhibition, appear to be genetically influenced. These results are linked to previous findings in older children and adults.