TY - JOUR
T1 - Bulimia nervosa and major depression
T2 - A study of common genetic and environmental factors
AU - Walters, E. E.
AU - Neale, Michael C.
AU - Eaves, L. J.
AU - Heath, A. C.
AU - Kessler, Ronald C.
AU - Kendler, Kenneth S.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by grant MH-40828 from the US National Institute of Mental Health. The Virginia Twin Registry, established and maintained by Drs W. Nance and L. Corey, is supported by the United States National Institutes of Health grants HD-26746 and NS-25630.
PY - 1992/8
Y1 - 1992/8
N2 - A genetic analysis of the co-occurrence of bulimia and major depression (MD) was performed on 1033 female twin pairs obtained from a population based register. Personal interviews were conducted and clinical diagnoses made according to DSM-III-R criteria. Additive genes, but not family environment, are found to play an important aetiological role in both bulimia and MD. The genetic liabilities of the two disorders are correlated 0.456. While unique environmental factors account for around half of the variation in liability to both bulimia and MD, these risk factors appear to be unrelated, i.e., each disorder has its own set of unique environmental risk factors. Thus, the genetic liability of bulimia and MD is neither highly specific nor entirely nonspecific. There is some genetic correlation between the two disorders as well as some genetic and environmental risk factors unique to each disorder. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
AB - A genetic analysis of the co-occurrence of bulimia and major depression (MD) was performed on 1033 female twin pairs obtained from a population based register. Personal interviews were conducted and clinical diagnoses made according to DSM-III-R criteria. Additive genes, but not family environment, are found to play an important aetiological role in both bulimia and MD. The genetic liabilities of the two disorders are correlated 0.456. While unique environmental factors account for around half of the variation in liability to both bulimia and MD, these risk factors appear to be unrelated, i.e., each disorder has its own set of unique environmental risk factors. Thus, the genetic liability of bulimia and MD is neither highly specific nor entirely nonspecific. There is some genetic correlation between the two disorders as well as some genetic and environmental risk factors unique to each disorder. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0026640758&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0033291700038071
DO - 10.1017/S0033291700038071
M3 - Article
C2 - 1410087
AN - SCOPUS:0026640758
SN - 0033-2917
VL - 22
SP - 617
EP - 622
JO - Psychological medicine
JF - Psychological medicine
IS - 3
ER -