Longitudinal Genetic Analysis for Loneliness in Dutch Twins
Open accessAbstract
In previous studies we obtained evidence that variation in loneliness has a genetic component. Based on adult twin data, the heritability estimate for loneliness, which was assessed as an ordinal trait, was 48%. These analyses were done on loneliness scores averaged over items (‘I feel lonely’ and ‘Nobody loves me’) and over time points. In this article we present a longitudinal analysis of loneliness data assessed in 5 surveys (1991 through 2002) in Dutch twins (N = 8389) for the two separate items of the loneliness scale. From the longitudinal growth modeling it was found sufficient to have non-zero variance for the intercept only, while the other effects (linear, quadratic and cubic slope) had zero variance. For the item ‘I feel lonely’ we observed an increasing age trend up to age 30, followed by a decline to age 50. Heritability for individual differences in the intercept was estimated at 77%. For the item ‘Nobody loves me’ no significant trend over age was seen; the heritability of the intercept was estimated at 70%.
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Individual differences in perceived social isolation are about 50% heritable.
“These studies indicate that the heritability of individual differences in perceived isolation is approximately 50%.”
From Social isolation (2011) · cites this paper as [60]
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References 35 · Cited by 57
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Peplau, L. A., & Perlman, D. (1982). Perspective on loneli- ness. In L. A. Peplau & D. Perlman (Eds.), Loneliness: A sourcebook of current theory, research and therapy (pp. 1-20). New York: Wiley.
- Rook, K. S. (1988). Towards a more differentiated view of loneliness. In S. Duck (Ed.), Handbook of personal relationships: Theory, research and interventions (pp. 571-590). Chichester, England: Wiley.
- Rubenstein, C., & Shaver, P. (1982). In search of intimacy. New York: Delacorte Press.
- Authors
- Boomsma, D. I., Cacioppo, J. T., Muthén, B., Asparouhov, T., & Clark, S.
- Affiliations
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- University of Chicago (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Muthén & Muthén (United States) (US)
- Corresponding author
- Boomsma, Dorret I.
- Venue
- Twin Research and Human Genetics
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2007-04-01
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 267-273
- ISSN
- 1832-4274 (ISSN-L)
- 1839-2628
- OpenAlex
- W2167999292
- Cited by
- 57
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 2 · 2016: 5 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 1.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Twin Research and Human Genetics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- VU Research Portal (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (56‐464‐14192, 14192)
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (K02AA000230, K02 AA00230)
- National Institute on Aging (P01AG18911, P01AG018911, PO1 AG18911)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- loneliness, heritability, twin studies, age trends, individual differences
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aging, Female, Genetics, Behavioral, Humans, Loneliness, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Genetic, Netherlands, Phenotype, Registries, Twins, Dizygotic, Twins, Monozygotic
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