Behavioral genetic analyses of self-reported anxiety at 7 years of age

Objective: To conduct behavioral genetic analyses of self-reported childhoo d anxiety at 7 years of age. Method: Three hundred twenty-six same-sex twin pairs (174 monozygotic, 152 dizygotic) completed the Revised Children's Ma nifest Anxiety Scale at 7 years of age. Behavioral genetic analyses were co nducted on the total and subscale scores. Results: Monozygotic within-pair correlations were higher than dizygotic correlations for physiological and social anxiety symptoms, suggesting heritable influences on these aspects. These results were found to be statistically significant with structural eq uation modeling. Conclusion: Certain symptoms of self-reported anxiety in c hildren 7 years of age seem to result, at least in part, from genetic facto rs. Physiological and social anxiety symptoms, which may be related to beha vioral inhibition, appear to be genetically influenced. These results are l inked to previous findings in older children and adults.