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Related Experiment Videos

Social support: a genetic-epidemiologic analysis

K S Kendler1

  • 1Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Richmond, USA. kendler@gems.vcu.edu

The American Journal of Psychiatry
|October 27, 1997
PubMed
Summary
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Genetic factors significantly influence social support, challenging the view of it as purely environmental. Individual traits play a role in shaping one's social environment.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Behavioral Genetics
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Social support is a key factor in mental health, sociology, and medicine.
  • It is often viewed as an environmental influence on health and dysfunction.
  • The precise origins of social support require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clarify the etiology of social support using a longitudinal twin design.
  • To determine the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to social support.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based sample of female twins was assessed twice over 5 years.
  • A 16-item social support inventory was administered via personal interview.
  • A twin measurement model was applied to estimate genetic and environmental influences.

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Main Results:

  • Six moderately stable factors of social support were identified.
  • Genetic factors were significant for all six scales, with heritability ranging from 43% to 75%.
  • Familial-environmental factors influenced only relative problems and support.

Conclusions:

  • Measures of social support demonstrate moderate temporal stability.
  • Heritable factors are crucial to social support, suggesting it's not solely environmental.
  • Genetically influenced traits contribute to individuals shaping their own social environments.