Familial Influences on Neuroticism and Education in the UK Biobank.

Genome-wide studies often exclude family members, even though they are a valuable source of information. We identified parent-offspring pairs, siblings and couples in the UK Biobank and implemented a family-based DNA-derived heritability method to capture additional genetic effects and multiple sources of environmental influence on neuroticism and years of education. Compared to estimates from unrelated individuals, total heritability increased from 10 to 27% and from 17 to 56% for neuroticism and education respectively by including family-based genetic effects. We detected no family environmental influences on neuroticism. The couple similarity variance component explained 35% of the variation in years of education, probably reflecting assortative mating. Overall, our genetic and environmental estimates closely replicate previous findings from an independent sample. However, more research is required to dissect contributions to the additional heritability by rare and structural genetic effects, assortative mating, and residual environmental confounding. The latter is especially relevant for years of education, a highly socially contingent variable, for which our heritability estimate is at the upper end of twin estimates in the literature. Family-based genetic effects could be harnessed to improve polygenic prediction.

Mothers' symptoms of anxiety and depression and the development of child temperament: A genetically informative, longitudinal investigation.

Background: Child temperament traits and mothers' emotional symptoms relating to anxiety and depression may drive changes in one another, leading to their 'co-development' across time. Alternatively, links between mother and child traits may be attributable to shared genetic propensities. We explored longitudinal associations between mothers' emotional symptoms and child temperament traits and adjusted for genetic effects shared across generations. Methods: This study is based on the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Mothers (n = 34,060) reported on their symptoms of anxiety and depression, and temperament among offspring (n = 42,526), at child ages 1.5, 3 and 5 years. Structural equation models parameterised developmental change in traits, and an extended family design adjusted for genetic effects. Results: We found individual differences in stable trait scores and rate of change for all study variables. Longitudinal stability in mothers' emotional symptoms was associated with longitudinal stability in offspring emotionality (r = 0.143), shyness (r = 0.031), and sociability (r = -0.015). Longitudinal change in mothers' symptoms showed very small or negligible correlations with longitudinal change in child temperament. Both genetic and environmental influences explained the stable longitudinal association between mothers' symptoms and child emotionality. Conclusions: The studied associations between mother and child traits across time appeared to be due to stable, trait-like factors, involving genetic and environmental influence, rather than their co-development. Findings contribute knowledge on how emotional symptoms develop in families across time, and the methods with which we can explore such development.

Characteristics and work experiences of hospitalists in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the personal characteristics, work-related attitudes, or professional experiences of hospitalists. In considering the future of hospital medicine as a viable career choice for physicians (primarily, internists), these issues should be examined in a systematic fashion. Learning more about hospitalists and their work can enhance dialogue about the advantages and shortcomings of such a career from the perspective of the individual physician. METHODS: A self-administered mail survey was sent to 820 hospitalists who are dues-paying members of the National Association of Inpatient Physicians and who spend 50% or more of their time doing clinical work, teaching, or research related to hospital medicine. Attitudes about topics such as job-related burnout and job satisfaction were tapped, as well as information about different professional and social experiences. The analyses were performed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance techniques. RESULTS: Analysis was based on 393 responses (48% response rate). Results show hospitalists to be a group of younger, mostly male, early-career individuals with high levels of job satisfaction and autonomy, low levels of burnout, and a long-term commitment to remaining in the role. Hospital medicine is a source of positive social and professional work experiences related to interactions with physician peers, patients and their families, and nonphysician hospital coworkers. Key components of hospitalists' jobs, practices, and workload are coalescing. However, certain developments, such as changing patterns of compensation and the enlisting of more general internists and women as hospitalists, merit further examination. CONCLUSIONS: The results offer insight into the physicians who are becoming hospitalists, the jobs and settings in which they work, and how hospitalists experience their everyday work lives. Valuable baseline data are provided for assessment of attitudes, such as burnout, that should be examined regularly in this fledgling group. This study complements research looking at the performance-related outcomes of hospitalists, and it can be used by various stakeholders to better understand and assess the long-term potential of what is being proposed as a new career path.

Records oriented work statistics: theory & practice.

The concept of applying units of work to quantify workloads within hospitals is already an accepted form of work analysis and in paramedical areas is totally unremarkable. However, within medical records departments the concept and use of work units does not appear to have materialised as a widespread phenomenon. Roger Cheesman and Karen Harrison-Taylor describe how such a system was devised and successfully implemented at Tawam Hospital, Abu Dhabi.