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Partitioning the etiology of hoarding and obsessive–compulsive symptoms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 February 2014

C. A. Mathews ,
K. Delucchi ,
D. C. Cath ,
G. Willemsen  and
D. I. Boomsma
C. A. Mathews*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
K. Delucchi
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
D. C. Cath
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht University and Altrecht Academic Anxiety Disorders Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands
G. Willemsen
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
D. I. Boomsma
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
*
*Address for correspondence: C. A. Mathews, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143-0984, USA. (Email: cmathews@lppi.ucsf.edu)
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Abstract

Background

Until recently, hoarding was considered an obsessive–compulsive symptom (OCS). However, current evidence suggests that these two phenotypes may be clinically, and perhaps etiologically, distinct. Both hoarding and OCS have a genetic etiology, but the degree of unique and shared genetic contributions to these phenotypes has not been well studied.

Method

Prevalence rates were assessed for hoarding and OCS in a sample of adult twin pairs (n = 7906 twins) and their family members from the Netherlands Twin Register (total sample = 15 914). Using Mplus, genetic analyses using liability threshold models were conducted for both phenotypes, for their co-morbidity, and for specific hoarding symptoms (cluttering, discarding and acquiring).

Results

Of the total sample, 6.7% met criteria for clinically significant hoarding; endorsement of all three hoarding symptoms was ⩾79%. Men had slightly higher rates than women. Also, 5.7% met criteria for clinically significant OCS; rates were similar in males and females. Genetic factors accounted for 36% of the variance for hoarding and 40% of the variance for OCS. The genetic correlation between hoarding and OCS was 0.10. There was no evidence of sex-specific genetic contributions for hoarding or OCS. There was evidence for a genetic contribution to all hoarding symptom subtypes. Only cluttering showed evidence of a contribution from the shared environment.

Conclusions

OCS and hoarding are common in this population-based sample, have prevalence rates similar to those previously reported, and show significant heritability. Genetic factors contributed to the co-morbidity of both traits, although the genetic correlation between them was low.

Keywords

Geneticsheritabilityhoardingobsessive–compulsivetwins
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 44 , Issue 13 , October 2014 , pp. 2867 - 2876
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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