Stability and Change of Genetic and Environmental Effects on the Common Liability to Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis DSM-IV Dependence Symptoms

• Published in: Behavior genetics Vol. 43; no. 5; pp. 374 - 385
• Main Authors: Palmer, R. H. C., Young, S. E., Corley, R. P., Hopfer, C. J., Stallings, M. C., Hewitt, J. K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01-09-2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Alcohol; Alcoholism - genetics; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Cannabis; Child; Child development; Clinical Psychology; Comorbidity; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Drug use; Environmental aspects; Female; Gender differences; Genetic factors; Health Psychology; Humans; Liability; Male; Males; Marijuana; Marijuana Abuse - genetics; Original Research; Phenotype; Psychology; Public Health; Smoking - genetics; Social Environment; Substance use disorder; Symptoms; Tobacco; Twins; Young Adult; Young adults; United States > US; Alcohol; Tobacco; Cannabis; Longitudinal; Drug dependence; Twin study
• ISSN: 0001-8244; 1573-3297
• DOI: 10.1007/s10519-013-9599-5

This study investigated the stability of genetic and environmental effects on the common liability to alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis dependence across adolescence and young adulthood. DSM-IV symptom counts from 2,361 adolescents were obtained using a structured diagnostic interview. Several sex-limited longitudinal common pathway models were used to examine gender differences in the magnitude of additive genetic (A), shared environment, and non-shared environmental effects over time. Model fitting indicated limited gender differences. Among older adolescents (i.e., age >14), the heritability of the latent trait was estimated at 0.43 (0.05, 0.94) during the first wave and 0.63 (0.21, 0.83) during the second wave of assessment. A common genetic factor could account for genetic influences at both assessments, as well as the majority of the stability of SAV over time [rA = 1.00 (0.55, 1.00)]. These results suggest that early genetic factors continue to play a key role at later developmental stages.