The stability and change of etiological influences on depression, anxiety symptoms and their co-occurrence across adolescence and young adulthood.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Depression and anxiety persist within and across diagnostic boundaries. The manner in which common v. disorder-specific genetic and environmental influences operate across development to maintain internalizing disorders and their co-morbidity is unclear. This paper investigates the stability and change of etiological influences on depression, panic, generalized, separation and social anxiety symptoms, and their co-occurrence, across adolescence and young adulthood.

Method

A total of 2619 twins/siblings prospectively reported symptoms of depression and anxiety at mean ages 15, 17 and 20 years.

Results

Each symptom scale showed a similar pattern of moderate continuity across development, largely underpinned by genetic stability. New genetic influences contrib

SUBMITTER: Waszczuk MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4673666 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature