A twin study of behavioral problems and relations to genetic and environmental factors in adolescents / 中国心理卫生杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the relations of adolescents'behavioral problems to genetic and environmental factors.Methods:66 twin pairs aged 12 to 18 years in Chongqing were included in the study.The Youth Self-Report (YSR) was used to evaluate behavioral problems.The blood sample was collected to identify zygosity of twins.Genetic effects were evaluated by comparing the phenotypic correlationamong monozygotic twins(rMZ) and the phenotypic correlation among dizygotic twins(rDZ).Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to evaluate the relations of adolescents behavioral problems to the additive genetic factors (A),shared environment factors (C) and individual specific environmental factors (E).Results:MZ correlations of Social problems and Delinquency were less than DZ correlations(rMZ ＜ rDZ).It prompted that data was not suitable for genetic analysis.MZ correlations(rMZ) of any others (including social withdrawal,somatic complaints,anxiety/depression,thinking problem,attention problems,self-destructive/identity problem)were less than 2DZ correlations (2rDZ).It prompted to fit the ACE model.The optimal model was AE model.Among the contribution of the additive genetic factors (A) and individual specific environmental factors (E)to the total variance,the genetic factors ranged from 0.52 to 0.57 and individual specific environmental factors ranged from 0.43 to 0.48 in anxiety/depression and self-destructive/identity problem.For social withdrawal,somatic complaints,thinking problem and attention problems,the genetic factors ranged from 0.17 to 0.45and individual specific environmental factors ranged from 0.55 to 0.83.Conclusion:There is no obvious relationship between genetic effects and adolescent social problems or delinquency.Other behaviors problems (social withdrawal,somatic complaints,anxiety/depression,thinking problem,attention problem,self-destructive/identity problem)are correlated with additive genetic factors and individual specific environmental factors.Additive genetic factors have high-correlation with anxiety/depression and self-destructive/identity problem,and individual specific environmental factors have high-correlation with other factors.