Genetic and Environmental Influences on Female Sexual Orientation, Childhood Gender Typicality and Adult Gender Identity

Background: Human sexual orientation is influenced by genetic and non-shared environmental factors as are two important psychological correlates – childhood gender typicality (CGT) and adult gender identity (AGI). However, researchers have been unable to resolve the genetic and non-genetic components that contribute to the covariation between these traits, particularly in women. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we performed a multivariate genetic analysis in a large sample of British female twins (N = 4,426) who completed a questionnaire assessing sexual attraction, CGT and AGI. Univariate genetic models indicated modest genetic influences on sexual attraction (25%), AGI (11%) and CGT (31%). For the multivariate analyses, a common pathway model best fitted the data. Conclusions/Significance: This indicated that a single latent variable influenced by a genetic component and common nonshared environmental component explained the association between the three traits but there was substantial measurement error. These findings highlight common developmental factors affecting differences in sexual orientation

Changes in maternal depression are associated with MST outcomes for adolescents with co-occurring externalizing and internalizing problems

Contains fulltext : 89980.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)he efficacy of Multisystemic therapy (MST) in treating adolescent aggression has been established, however, not all youth and their families benefit from MST. One reason for this treatment variability could be the failure to distinguish between different aggressive Subtypes with different risk factors, developmental prognoses and treatment needs. We investigated whether changes in maternal depression over MST would lead to different outcomes for two aggressive Subtypes: pure externalizers (EXT) and mixed externalizers/internalizers (MIXED). Forty-two EXT and 27 MIXED youth and their families underwent MST for six months. Maternal depression, youth externalizing and internalizing behaviour were assessed before and after MST. Results showed a marginally greater change in externalizing for EXT youth. In addition, reductions in maternal depression were related to successful treatment outcomes for MIXED youth only. Our findings have implications for MST clinicians, namely the importance of reducing depressive symptoms in mothers of MIXED youth to improve their outcomes. (C) 2009 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents

The relation between co-rumination, maternal depressive symptoms and child psychopathology

Item does not contain fulltextLittle is known about which processes explain the well-established link between maternal and child symptomatology. Interpersonal coping processes may be worth exploring, as depressed mothers have characteristic coping styles that may influence interactions with their children. We examined two interpersonal coping processes as potential factors explaining how depressive symptomatology in mothers impacts child psychopathology: parent-child co-rumination (dwelling on negative affect, over-analyzing problems) and impaired problem-solving. We analyzed 198 aggressive children (most of whom also had elevated internalizing symptoms) who engaged in structured discussions with their mothers. Coders rated the extent to which dyads problem-solved and co-ruminated during discussions, and mothers filled out questionnaires assessing maternal and child symptoms. Path analysis tested whether higher levels of co-rumination and poor problem-solving statistically mediated the relation between depressive symptoms in mothers and child internalizing and externalizing behaviour. Maternal depressive symptomatology was correlated with greater child symptoms, higher rates of co-rumination and poorer problem-solving. Statistical mediation was non-significant. Results support the established link between maternal depression and child psychopathology, and suggest that dysphoric mothers and their children engage in maladaptive coping interactions.11 p