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Cited by 94Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchResilience and Mental HealthChild Abuse and Trauma

A classical twin study of PTSD symptoms and resilience: evidence for a single spectrum of vulnerability to traumatic stress

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Wolf, Erika J., Miller, Mark W., Sullivan, Danielle R., Amstadter, Ananda B., Mitchell, Karen S., Goldberg, Jack, Magruder, Kathryn M.·2018·Depression and Anxiety
DOI 10.1002/da.22712PMC PMC5794534
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: To examine shared genetic and environmental risk factors across PTSD symptoms and resilience. METHODS: Classical twin study of 2010-2012 survey data conducted among 3,318 male twin pairs in the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. Analyses included: (a) estimates of genetic and environmental influences on PTSD symptom severity (as measured by the PTSD Checklist) and resilience (assessed with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10); (b) development of a latent model of traumatic stress, spanning both PTSD and resilience; and (c) estimates of genetic and environmental influences on this spectrum. RESULTS: The heritability of PTSD was 49% and of resilience was 25%. PTSD and resilience were correlated at r = -.59, and 59% of this correlation was attributable to a single genetic factor, whereas the remainder was due to a single non-shared environment factor. Resilience was also influenced by common and unique environmental factors not shared with PTSD, but there was no genetic factor specific to resilience. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the Development of a revised phenotype reflecting the broader dimension of traumatic stress, with biometric models suggesting increased heritability (66%) of this spectrum compared to PTSD or resilience individually. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic factors contribute to a single spectrum of traumatic stress reflecting resilience at one end and high symptom severity at the other. This carries implications for phenotype refinement in the search for molecular genetic markers of trauma-related psychopathology. Rather than focusing only on genetic risk for PTSD, molecular genetics research may benefit from evaluation of the broader spectrum of traumatic stress.

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  • The heritability of resilience is low to moderate, varying in research reports from 25% to 60%.

    “Similarly, the heritability of resilience is low to moderate, varying in research reports from 25% to 60% (32–34).”

    From Epigenetic Modifications in Stress Response Genes Associated With Childhood Trauma (2019) · cites this paper as [32]

    The Results report 25% heritability of resilience, and the passage discussing prior research reports estimates of 31% and 50%. The copy does not substantiate 60% as a resilience-heritability estimate; the 60% figure in the Cholesky Decomposition Results refers to non-shared environmental influence on resilience. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Southwick SM Litz BT Chamey D Friedman MJ 2011 Resilience and Mental Health: Challenges Across the Lifespan New York, NY Cambridge University Press

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Authors
Wolf, E. J., Miller, M. W., Sullivan, D. R., Amstadter, A. B., Mitchell, K. S., Goldberg, J., & Magruder, K. M.
Affiliations
  • Boston University (US)
  • Virginia Commonwealth University (US)
  • University of Washington (US)
  • Medical University of South Carolina (US)
Corresponding author
Wolf, Erika J.
ORCID
Venue
Depression and Anxiety
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2017-12-28
Volume
35
Issue
2
Pages
132-139
ISSN
1091-4269 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1002/da.22712
PMC
PMC5794534
OpenAlex
W2781349513
Cited by
94
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 5
FWCI
8.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Depression and Anxiety (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Department of Veterans Affairs, Clinical Sciences Research and Development Program (Career Development Award, PECASE2013A)
  • Department of Veterans Affairs, Cooperative Studies Program (CSP #569)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (K02 AA023239, T32MH019836-01)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
Keywords
post-traumatic stress disorder, resilience, traumatic stress, heritability, genetic risk factors, environmental risk factors, nonshared environment, twin studies, Vietnam Era Twin Registry, PTSD symptom severity, trauma-related psychopathology, genetic markers
MeSH terms
Aged, Disease Susceptibility, Diseases in Twins, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Registries, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Veterans, Resilience, Psychological

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