Genetic and Environmental Causes of Individual Differences in Borderline Personality Disorder Features and Loneliness are Partially Shared. (August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schermer, Julie Aitken; Colodro-Conde, Lucía; Grasby, Katrina L.; Hickie, Ian B.; Burns, Jane; Ligthart, Lannie; Willemsen, Gonneke; Trull, Timothy J.; Martin, Nicholas G.; Boomsma, Dorret I.
• Is Part Of: Twin research and human genetics. Volume 23:Number 4(2020)
• Page Start: 214
• Page End: 220
• Publication Date: 2020-08
• Subjects: Borderline personality disorder, -- loneliness, -- twins, -- multivariate genetic models, -- genetic correlation; Twins -- Periodicals; Multiple birth -- Periodicals; 618.25
• DOI: 10.1017/thg.2020.62
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1832-4274

Abstract

Abstract: Loneliness is related to mental and somatic health outcomes, including borderline personality disorder. Here, we analyze the sources of variation that are responsible for the relationship between borderline personality features (including four dimensions, affective instability, identity disturbance, negative relationships, self-harm and a total score) and loneliness. Using genetically informative data from two large nonclinical samples of adult twin pairs from Australia and the Netherlands ( N = 11, 329), we estimate the phenotypic, genetic and environmental correlations between self-reported borderline personality features and loneliness. Individual differences in borderline personality and loneliness were best explained by additive genetic factors with heritability estimates h 2 = 41% for the borderline personality total score and h 2 = 36% for loneliness, with the remaining variation explained by environmental influences that were not shared by twins from the same pair. Genetic and environmental factors influencing borderline personality (total score and four subscales separately) were also partial causes of loneliness. The correlation between loneliness and the borderline personality total score was r ph = .51. The genetic correlation was estimated at r g = .64 and the environmental correlation at r e = .40. Our study suggests common etiological factors in loneliness and borderline personality features.