Sex Differences in Symptoms of Depression in Unrelated Individuals and Opposite-Sex Twin and Sibling Pairs

Middeldorp, Christel M.; Wray, Naomi R.; Andrews, Gavin; Martin, Nicholas G.; Boomsma, Dorret I.

doi:10.1375/twin.9.5.632

Cited by 21 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 21 publications

(30 reference statements)

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“…Future studies should therefore be conducted with sample sizes sufficiently large to detect small sex differences in the data. Results from earlier investigations on both qualitative and quantitative sex differences in major depression are mixed (Kendler et al, 2006; Middeldorp et al, 2006). Regarding anxiety disorders, substantial sex differences in symptoms reported and prevalence rates have been found across the life span (MacKinaw-Koons & Vasey, 2000).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Strong Genetic Correlation Between Interview-Assessed Internalizing Disorders and a Brief Self-Report Symptom Scale

et al. 2011

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Self-report scales for symptoms of anxiety and depression are frequently used for screening and research purposes. A moderate phenotypic association between disorders measured by diagnostic interviews and symptoms of anxiety and depression measured by self-report scales has been shown, but little is known about the overlap in these phenotypes' genetic and environmental variance. In the present study, we used twin modeling to identify common genetic and environmental liabilities underlying the phenotypic association between the self-report Symptom Checklist-5 (SCL-5) and lifetime internalizing disorders derived from the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). The sample consisted of 7,992 young adult twins from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health Twin Panel (NIPHT), who all responded to a questionnaire. A subset of 2,793 individuals later underwent structured interviews. The best fitting model showed a strong genetic correlation of 0.82 (95% confidence interval; 0.61–1.0) between current self-report symptoms of anxiety and depression, and lifetime internalizing disorders, which suggests an almost complete overlap in genetic liability. The correlation between environmental factors was much lower: 0.16 (0.00–0.34, 95% CI). This implies that brief self-report scales capture genetic variance that is highly overlapping with the genetic variance common to internalizing disorder diagnoses. It thus follows that SCL-5 and similar instruments may be used as screening instruments for genetic risk factors that influence liability to internalizing disorders. In addition, existing data on self-report symptoms of anxiety and depression can be used with increased confidence to specify models including effects from genes coding for internalizing disorders.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Strong Genetic Correlation Between Interview-Assessed Internalizing Disorders and a Brief Self-Report Symptom Scale

et al. 2011

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“…24,25 Countering these concerns, the episodes of depression we found 15 consisted of a similar pattern of particular symptoms, total number of symptoms and sociodemographic correlates as has been found in other countries using full DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. 26,27 This suggests that the same underlying phenotype has been tapped into, rather than a subtype of depression that is substantially qualitatively different from that seen in other countries.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic and environmental contributions to depression in Sri Lanka

Ball

Sumathipala

Siribaddana³

et al. 2009

Br J Psychiatry

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BackgroundSusceptibility to depression results from genetic and non-familially shared environmental influences in high-income, Western countries. Environments may play a different role for populations in different contexts.AimsTo examine heritability of depression in the first large, population-based twin study in a low-income country.MethodLifetime depression and a broader measure of depression susceptibility (D-probe) were assessed in 3908 adult twins in Sri Lanka (the CoTASS study).ResultsThere were gender differences for the broad definition (D-probe), with a higher genetic contribution in females (61%) than males (4%). Results were similar for depression, but the prevalence was too low to estimate heritability for males.ConclusionsGenetic influences on depression in women appear to be at least as strong in this Sri Lankan sample as in higher-income countries. Conclusions are less clear for men but suggest a larger role for environments rather than genes. The nature as well as the magnitude of environmental influences may also differ across populations.

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“…The time interval between assessment by CIDI and by LIDAS was substantial. Cases in NTR and NESDA were assessed about 9 years before LIDAS (Middeldorp et al, 2006;Sullivan et al, 2009), thus recall bias may explain a change in status. Controls in NESDA were identified as scoring with no depression on all CIDI assessments, including the most recent one a few months before completing LIDAS.…”

Section: Heritability and Prs Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some studies reported no or little difference between sexes (Kendler & Prescott, 1999;Nivard et al, 2015), whereas some reported a higher heritability of lifetime MDD in women, than in men (Kendler, Gardner, Neale, & Prescott, 2001;Kendler, Gatz, Gardner, & Pedersen, 2006). However, there is no evidence for qualitative sex differences in the genetic architecture of depression with the empirical data indicating that the same genes are expressed in men and women (Eaves et al, 1997;Middeldorp, Wray, Andrews, Martin, & Boomsma, 2006;Vink et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement and genetic architecture of lifetime depression in the Netherlands as assessed by LIDAS (Lifetime Depression Assessment Self-report)

et al. 2020

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Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common mood disorder, with a heritability of around 34%. Molecular genetic studies made significant progress and identified genetic markers associated with the risk of MDD; however, progress is slowed down by substantial heterogeneity as MDD is assessed differently across international cohorts. Here, we used a standardized online approach to measure MDD in multiple cohorts in the Netherlands and evaluated whether this approach can be used in epidemiological and genetic association studies of depression. Methods Within the Biobank Netherlands Internet Collaboration (BIONIC) project, we collected MDD data in eight cohorts involving 31 936 participants, using the online Lifetime Depression Assessment Self-report (LIDAS), and estimated the prevalence of current and lifetime MDD in 22 623 unrelated individuals. In a large Netherlands Twin Register (NTR) twin-family dataset (n ≈ 18 000), we estimated the heritability of MDD, and the prediction of MDD in a subset (n = 4782) through Polygenic Risk Score (PRS). Results Estimates of current and lifetime MDD prevalence were 6.7% and 18.1%, respectively, in line with population estimates based on validated psychiatric interviews. In the NTR heritability estimates were 0.34/0.30 (s.e. = 0.02/0.02) for current/lifetime MDD, respectively, showing that the LIDAS gives similar heritability rates for MDD as reported in the literature. The PRS predicted risk of MDD (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.15–1.32, R2 = 1.47%). Conclusions By assessing MDD status in the Netherlands using the LIDAS instrument, we were able to confirm previously reported MDD prevalence and heritability estimates, which suggests that this instrument can be used in epidemiological and genetic association studies of depression.

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Sex Differences in Symptoms of Depression in Unrelated Individuals and Opposite-Sex Twin and Sibling Pairs

Cited by 21 publications

References 21 publications

Strong Genetic Correlation Between Interview-Assessed Internalizing Disorders and a Brief Self-Report Symptom Scale

Strong Genetic Correlation Between Interview-Assessed Internalizing Disorders and a Brief Self-Report Symptom Scale

Genetic and environmental contributions to depression in Sri Lanka

Measurement and genetic architecture of lifetime depression in the Netherlands as assessed by LIDAS (Lifetime Depression Assessment Self-report)

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