Genes, Environment, and Psychopathology

Download or read book Genes, Environment, and Psychopathology written by Kenneth S. Kendler and published by Guilford Press. This book was released on 2007-11-01 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This groundbreaking volume synthesizes the results of the Virginia Adult Twin Study of Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders, which yielded longitudinal data on more than 9,000 individuals. The authors trace how risk for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, antisocial behavior, alcoholism, and substance abuse emerges from the interplay of a variety of genetic and environmental influences. Major questions addressed include whether risk is disorder-specific, how to distinguish between correlational and causal genetic and evironmental factors, sex differences in risk, and how risk and protective factors interact over time. The book also summarizes the conceptual underpinnings of the study and describes key methodological challenges and innovations.