Relationships between Dimensions of Religiosity and Internalizing and Externalizing Psychiatric Disorders: A Twin Study

The present study estimated the genetic and environmental effects on different dimensions of religiosity, explored how genetic and environmental effects covary across different dimensions of religiosity, and decomposed the covariance of genetic and environmental effects between different dimensions of religiosity and internalizing and externalizing psychiatric disorders. Dimensions of religiosity were found to be largely influenced by additive genetic and unique environmental effects, with little influence observed from common enviromental effects. Multidimensional analyses found that the seven religiosity factors observed in the present study were influenced by one common additive genetic factor, three common unique environmental factors, and unique environmental effects specific to each religiosity factor. Bivariate analyses of the seven religiosity factors and four psychiatric disorders found that the negative correlation between alcohol dependence and six of the seven religiosity factors could be accounted for by additive genetic effects. Similar results were obtained for nicotine dependence and one religiosity factor, "Social Religiosity" and for phobia and the religiosity factor "Unvengefulness" with shared genetic factors accounting for the observed correlation. For phobia and the religiosity factor "God as Judge", the correlation due to additive genetic factors was positive while that due to common environmental effects was negative. Analysis of a subset of religiosity items showed that for one religiosity factor, additive genetic effects increased over time while common environmental effects decreased. The results of the present study point to the complexity of the religiosity construct and suggest that various dimensions of religiosity are differentially related to various psychiatric disorders.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2006

Author dc:creator

• Vance, Gilbert Todd

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Kenneth S. Kendler

• phobia
• addiction
• religion
• psychiatric disorder
• Psychology
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/911

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-1910