Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T08:50:32.317Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Marital resemblance for obsessive–compulsive, anxious and depressive symptoms in a population-based sample

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2008

D. S. van Grootheest ,
S. M. van den Berg ,
D. C. Cath ,
G. Willemsen  and
D. I. Boomsma
D. S. van Grootheest*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
S. M. van den Berg
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Department of Veterinary Sciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
D. C. Cath
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
G. Willemsen
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
D. I. Boomsma
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
*
*Address for correspondence: D. S. van Grootheest, M.D., Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Biological Psychology, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (Email: Ds.van.grootheest@psy.vu.nl)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Resemblance between spouses can be due to phenotypic assortment, social homogamy and/or marital interaction. A significant degree of assortment can have consequences for the genetic architecture of a population. We examined the existence and cause(s) of assortment for obsessive–compulsive (OC), anxious and depressive symptoms in a population-based twin-family sample.

Method

OC, anxious and depressive symptoms were measured in around 1400 twin–spouse pairs and >850 parent pairs. Correlations of twins and their spouse, twin and co-twin's spouse, spouses of both twins and parents of twins were obtained to consider phenotypic assortment versus social homogamy as possible causes of marital resemblance. The association of length of relationship with marital resemblance was also investigated. Finally, we examined whether within-trait or cross-trait processes play a primarily role in marital resemblance.

Results

Small but significant within-trait correlations of between 0.1 and 0.2 were seen for spouse similarity in OC, anxious and depressive symptoms. Cross-correlations were significant but lower. There was no correlation between length of relationship and marital resemblance. From the pattern of correlations for twin–spouse, co-twin–spouse and spouses of both twins, phenotypic assortment could not be distinguished from social homogamy. Both within- and cross-assortment processes play a role in marital resemblance.

Conclusions

Small within- and across-trait correlations exist for OC, anxious and depressive symptoms. No evidence for marital interaction was found. Spouse correlations are small, which makes it difficult to distinguish between social homogamy and phenotypic assortment. It is unlikely that correlations of this size will have a large impact on genetic studies.

Keywords

Anxietyassortative matingdepressionmarital resemblanceOCD
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 38 , Issue 12 , December 2008 , pp. 1731 - 1740
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Achenbach, TM (1997). Manual for the Young Adult Self-Report and Young Adult Behavior Checklist. University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry: Burlington, VT.Google Scholar
Boomsma, DI, de Geus, EJ, Vink, JM, Stubbe, JH, Distel, MA, Hottenga, JJ, Posthuma, D, van Beijsterveldt, CE, Hudziak, JJ, Bartels, M, Willemsen, G (2006). Netherlands Twin Register: from twins to twin families. Twin Research and Human Genetics 9, 849–857.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boomsma, DI, Vink, JM, van Beijsterveldt, TC, de Geus, EJ, Beem, AL, Mulder, EJ, Derks, EM, Riese, H, Willemsen, GA, Bartels, M, van den Berg, M, Kupper, NH, Polderman, TJ, Posthuma, D, Rietveld, MJ, Stubbe, JH, Knol, LI, Stroet, T, van Baal, GC (2002). Netherlands Twin Register: a focus on longitudinal research. Twin Research 5, 401–406.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carey, G (1986). A general multivariate approach to linear modeling in human genetics. American Journal of Human Genetics 39, 775–786.Google ScholarPubMed
Cath, DC, van Grootheest, DS, Willemsen, G, Van Oppen, P, Boomsma, DI (2008). Environmental influences on obsessive-compulsive behavior: evidence from discordant and concordant monozygotic twins. Behavior Genetics. Published online: 11 January 2008. doi: 10.1007/s10519-007-9185-9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clifford, CA, Murray, RM, Fulker, DW (1984). Genetic and environmental influences on obsessional traits and symptoms. Psychological Medicine 14, 791–800.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crow, JF, Felsenstein, J (1968). The effect of assortative mating on the genetic composition of a population. Eugenics Quarterly 15, 85–97.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Derks, EM, Dolan, CV, Boomsma, DI (2004). Effects of censoring on parameter estimates and power in genetic modeling. Twin Research 7, 659–669.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dubuis-Stadelmann, E, Fenton, BT, Ferrero, F, Preisig, M (2001). Spouse similarity for temperament, personality and psychiatric symptomatology. Personality and Individual Differences 30, 1095–1112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eagles, JM, Walker, LG, Blackwood, GW, Beattie, JA, Restall, DB (1987). The mental health of elderly couples. II. Concordance for psychiatric morbidity in spouses. British Journal of Psychiatry 150, 303–308.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Falconer, DS, Mackay, TFC (1996). Introduction to Quantitative Genetics, 4th edn.Longman Group Ltd.: Essex.Google Scholar
Ferdinand, RF, Verhulst, FC, Wiznitzer, M (1995). Continuity and change of self-reported problem behaviors from adolescence into young adulthood. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 34, 680–690.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fisher, RA (1918). The correlation between relatives on the supposition of Medelian inheritance. Transactions of the Royal Society 52, 399–433.Google Scholar
Galbaud du Fort, G, Bland, RC, Newman, SC, Boothroyd, LJ (1998). Spouse similarity for lifetime psychiatric history in the general population. Psychological Medicine 28, 789–802.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heath, AC, Eaves, LJ (1985). Resolving the effects of phenotype and social background on mate selection. Behavior Genetics 15, 15–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hettema, JM, Neale, MC, Kendler, KS (2001). A review and meta-analysis of the genetic epidemiology of anxiety disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry 158, 1568–1578.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jonnal, AH, Gardner, CO, Prescott, CA, Kendler, KS (2000). Obsessive and compulsive symptoms in a general population sample of female twins. American Journal of Medical Genetics 96, 791–796.3.0.CO;2-C>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Low, N, Cui, L, Merikangas, KR (2007). Spousal concordance for substance use and anxiety disorders. Journal of Psychiatric Research 41, 942–951.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maes, HH, Neale, MC, Kendler, KS, Hewitt, JK, Silberg, JL, Foley, DL, Meyer, JM, Rutter, M, Simonoff, E, Pickles, A, Eaves, LJ (1998). Assortative mating for major psychiatric diagnoses in two population-based samples. Psychological Medicine 28, 1389–1401.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, NG (1978). Genetics of social and sexual attitudes. In Twin Research: Psychology and Methodology (ed. Nance, W. E.), pp. 13–23. Alan R. Liss: New York.Google Scholar
Mathews, CA, Nievergelt, CM, Azzam, A, Garrido, H, Chavira, DA, Wessel, J, Bagnarello, M, Reus, VI, Schork, NJ (2007). Heritability and clinical features of multigenerational families with obsessive-compulsive disorder and hoarding. American Journal of Medical Genetics. Part B, Neuropsychiatric Genetics 144, 174–182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mathews, CA, Reus, VI (2001). Assortative mating in the affective disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Comprehensive Psychiatry 42, 257–262.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McLeod, JD (1995). Social and psychological bases of homogamy for common psychiatric disorders. Journal of Marriage and the Family 57, 201–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merikangas, KR (1982). Assortative mating for psychiatric disorders and psychological traits. Archives of General Psychiatry 39, 1173–1180.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Merikangas, KR (1984). Divorce and assortative mating among depressed patients. American Journal of Psychiatry 141, 74–76.Google ScholarPubMed
Middeldorp, CM, Cath, DC, van den Berg, M, Beem, AL, Van Dyck, R, Boomsma, DI (2006). The association of personality with anxious and depressive psychopathology. In The Biological Basis of Personality and Individual Differences (ed. Canli, T.), pp. 251–272. Guilford Press: New York.Google Scholar
Neale, MC, Boker, SM, Xie, G, Maes, HM (2003). Mx: Statistical Modeling, 6th edn.Department of Psychiatry, VCU Box 900126: Richmond, VA.Google Scholar
Neale, MC, Cardon, LR (1992). Methodology for Genetic Studies of Twins and Families. Kluwer Academic: Dordrecht, The Netherlands.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Penrose, LS (1944). Mental illness in husband and wife: a contribution to the study of assortative mating in man. Psychiatric Quarterly Supplement 18, 161–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, K, Fulker, DW, Carey, G, Nagoshi, CT (1988). Direct marital assortment for cognitive and personality variables. Behavior Genetics 18, 347–356.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reynolds, CA, Baker, LA, Pedersen, NL (2000). Multivariate models of mixed assortment: phenotypic assortment and social homogamy for education and fluid ability. Behavior Genetics 30, 455–476.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reynolds, CA, Barlow, T, Pedersen, NL (2006). Alcohol, tobacco and caffeine use: spouse similarity processes. Behavior Genetics 32, 201–215.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanavio, E (1988). Obsessions and compulsions: the Padua Inventory. Behavior Research and Therapy 26, 169–177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spielberger, CD (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory STAI (Form Y). Consulting Psychologists Press: Palo Alto, CA.Google Scholar
Sullivan, PF, Neale, MC, Kendler, KS (2000). Genetic epidemiology of major depression: review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry 157, 1552–1562.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tambs, K (1991). Transmission of symptoms of anxiety and depression in nuclear families. Journal of Affective Disorders 21, 117–126.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van der Ploeg, HM (2000). Guide to the Dutch version of the Spielberger State-trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI-DY. Swets en Zeitlinger bv: Lisse.Google Scholar
van Grootheest, DS, Bartels, M, Cath, DC, Beekman, AT, Hudziak, JJ, Boomsma, DI (2007). Genetic and environmental contributions underlying stability in childhood obsessive-compulsive behavior. Biological Psychiatry 61, 308–315.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van Grootheest, DS, Cath, DC, Beekman, AT, Boomsma, DI (2005). Twin studies on obsessive-compulsive disorder: a review. Twin Research and Human Genetics 8, 450–458.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Oppen, P, Hoekstra, RJ, Emmelkamp, PM (1995). The structure of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Behavior Research and Therapy 33, 15–23.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wade, TJ, Cairney, J (2000). Major depressive disorder and marital transition among mothers: results from a national panel study. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 188, 741–750.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wiznitzer, M, Verhulst, FC, van den Brink, W, Koeter, M, van der Ende, J, Giel, R, Koot, HM (1992). Detecting psychopathology in young adults: the Young Adult Self Report, the General Health Questionnaire and the Symptom Checklist as screening instruments. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 86, 32–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, S (1921). Assortative mating based on somatic resemblance. Genetics 6, 144–161.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zimmermann-Tansella, C, Lattanzi, M (1991). The Ryle Marital Patterns Test as a predictor of symptoms of anxiety and depression in couples in the community. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 26, 221–229.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed