Associations between Loneliness and Personality are Mostly Driven by a Genetic Association with Neuroticism

Abdel Abdellaoui; Hsi-Yuan Chen; Gonneke Willemsen; Erik A Ehli; Gareth E Davies; Karin J H Verweij; Michel G Nivard; Eco J C de Geus; Dorret I Boomsma; John T Cacioppo

doi:10.1111/jopy.12397

Associations between Loneliness and Personality are Mostly Driven by a Genetic Association with Neuroticism

Abdel Abdellaoui
, Hsi-Yuan Chen
, Gonneke Willemsen
, Erik A Ehli
, Gareth E Davies
, Karin J H Verweij
, Michel G Nivard
, Eco J C de Geus
, Dorret I Boomsma
, John T Cacioppo

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Loneliness is an aversive response to a discrepancy between desired and actual social relationships and correlates with personality. We investigate the relationship of loneliness and personality in twin-family and molecular genetic data.

METHOD: Phenotypic correlations between loneliness and the Big Five personality traits were estimated in 29,625 adults, and in a group with genome-wide genotype data (N=4,222), genetic correlations were obtained. We explored whether genetic correlations may reflect causal relationships by investigating within monozygotic twin-pair differences (Npairs =2,662), by longitudinal within-subject changes in personality and loneliness (N=4,260-9,238 longitudinal comparisons), and by longitudinal cross-lagged panel analyses (N=15,628). Finally, we tested whether genetic correlations were due to cross-trait assortative mating (Nspouse-pairs =4,436).

RESULTS: The strongest correlations with loneliness were observed for neuroticism (r=.55) and extraversion (r=-.33). Only neuroticism showed a high correlation with loneliness independent of other personality traits (r=.50), so follow-up analyses focused on neuroticism. The genetic correlation between loneliness and neuroticism from genotyped variants was .71; a significant reciprocal causal relationship and non-significant cross-trait assortative mating imply that this is at least partly due to mediated pleiotropy.

CONCLUSION: We show that the relationship between loneliness and personality is largely explained by its relationship with neuroticism, which is substantially genetic in nature. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	386-397
Number of pages	12
Journal	Journal of Personality
Volume	87
Issue number	2
Early online date	12 May 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12397
Publication status	Published - Apr 2019

Funding

information National Institutes of Health (NIH, R37 AG033590-08) to JC; Royal Netherlands Academy of Science Professor Award to MGN (PAH/6635 to DIB); Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (904-61-090, 85-10-002, 904-61-193, 480-04-004, 400-05-717, Addiction-31160008, Spinozapremie 56-464-14192); Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI –NL, 184.021.007); Avera Institute for Human Genetics; National Institutes of Health (NIH, R01D0042157-01A); NIMH Grand Opportunity grants 1RC2MH089951-01 and 1RC2 MH089995-01; Netherlands Scientific Organization (NWO 480-05-003); Dutch Brain Foundation; Department of Psychology and Education, VU University Amsterdam; NWO Grant 480-15-001/674The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Preparation of this manuscript was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH, R37 AG033590-08 to JC). MGN is supported by Royal Netherlands Academy of Science Professor Award (PAH/6635 to DIB). Data collection and genotyping were supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (904-61-090, 85-10-002,904-61-193,480-04-004, 400-05-717, Addiction-31160008, Spinozapremie 56-464-14192), Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI–NL, 184.021.007), the Avera Institute for Human Genetics, Sioux Falls, South Dakota (USA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH, R01D0042157-01A), and Grand Opportunity grants 1RC2MH089951-01 and 1RC2 MH089995-01 from the NIMH. Part of the analyses were carried out on the Genetic Cluster Computer (http://www.geneticcluster.org), which is financially supported by the Netherlands Scientific Organization (NWO 480-05-003), the Dutch Brain Foundation, and the department of Psychology and Education of the VU University Amsterdam. We acknowledge NWO Grant 480-15-001/674: Netherlands Twin Registry Repository: researching the interplay between genome and environment. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Preparation of this manuscript was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH, R37 AG033590‐08 to JC). MGN is supported by Royal Netherlands Academy of Science Professor Award (PAH/6635 to DIB). Data collection and genotyping were supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (904‐61‐090, 85‐10‐002,904‐61‐193,4 80‐04‐004, 400‐05‐717, Addiction‐31160008, Spinozapremie 56‐464‐14192), Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI–NL, 184.021.007), the Avera Institute for Human Genetics, Sioux Falls, South Dakota (USA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH, R01D0042157‐01A), and Grand Opportunity grants 1RC2MH089951‐01 and 1RC2 MH089995‐01 from the NIMH. Part of the analyses were carried out on the Genetic Cluster Computer (http://www.geneticcluster.org), which is financially supported by the Netherlands Scientific Organization (NWO 480‐05‐003), the Dutch Brain Foundation, and the department of Psychology and Education of the VU University Amsterdam. We acknowledge NWO Grant 480‐15‐001/674: Netherlands Twin Registry Repository: researching the interplay between genome and environment. National Institutes of Health (NIH, R37 AG033590‐08) to JC; Royal Netherlands Academy of Science Professor Award to MGN (PAH/6635 to DIB); Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (904‐61‐090, 85‐10‐002, 904‐61‐193, 480‐04‐004, 400‐05‐717, Addiction‐31160008, Spinozapremie 56‐464‐14192); Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI –NL, 184.021.007); Avera Institute for Human Genetics; National Institutes of Health (NIH, R01D0042157‐01A); NIMH Grand Opportunity grants 1RC2MH089951‐01 and 1RC2 MH089995‐01; Netherlands Scientific Organization (NWO 480‐05‐003); Dutch Brain Foundation; Department of Psychology and Education, VU University Amsterdam; NWO Grant 480‐15‐001/674

Funders	Funder number
Spinozapremie
Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure
Dutch Brain Foundation
Department of Psychology and Education
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek	904‐61‐090, 480‐05‐003, Addiction‐31160008, 400‐05‐717, 56‐464‐14192, 85‐10‐002, 480‐04‐004, 904‐61‐193, 85‐10‐002,904‐61‐193,4 80‐04‐004
National Institute of Mental Health	RC2MH089951, RC2MH089995
National Institutes of Health	PAH/6635
Avera Institute for Human Genetics	1RC2MH089951‐01, R01D0042157‐01A, 1RC2 MH089995‐01
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam	480‐15‐001/674, 480-15-001/674The
Royal Netherlands Academy of Science	PAH/6635
BBMRI	184.021.007
National Institute on Aging	R37AG033590

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

Cohort Studies

Netherlands Twin Register (NTR)

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10.1111/jopy.12397

Associations between loneliness and personality are mostly driven by a genetic association with NeuroticismFinal published version, 275 KBLicence: Article 25fa Dutch Copyright Act

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@article{5c817efa0b2a4d05b5bbf98a292e9479,

title = "Associations between Loneliness and Personality are Mostly Driven by a Genetic Association with Neuroticism",

abstract = "OBJECTIVE: Loneliness is an aversive response to a discrepancy between desired and actual social relationships and correlates with personality. We investigate the relationship of loneliness and personality in twin-family and molecular genetic data.METHOD: Phenotypic correlations between loneliness and the Big Five personality traits were estimated in 29,625 adults, and in a group with genome-wide genotype data (N=4,222), genetic correlations were obtained. We explored whether genetic correlations may reflect causal relationships by investigating within monozygotic twin-pair differences (Npairs =2,662), by longitudinal within-subject changes in personality and loneliness (N=4,260-9,238 longitudinal comparisons), and by longitudinal cross-lagged panel analyses (N=15,628). Finally, we tested whether genetic correlations were due to cross-trait assortative mating (Nspouse-pairs =4,436).RESULTS: The strongest correlations with loneliness were observed for neuroticism (r=.55) and extraversion (r=-.33). Only neuroticism showed a high correlation with loneliness independent of other personality traits (r=.50), so follow-up analyses focused on neuroticism. The genetic correlation between loneliness and neuroticism from genotyped variants was .71; a significant reciprocal causal relationship and non-significant cross-trait assortative mating imply that this is at least partly due to mediated pleiotropy.CONCLUSION: We show that the relationship between loneliness and personality is largely explained by its relationship with neuroticism, which is substantially genetic in nature. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.",

author = "Abdel Abdellaoui and Hsi-Yuan Chen and Gonneke Willemsen and Ehli, \{Erik A\} and Davies, \{Gareth E\} and Verweij, \{Karin J H\} and Nivard, \{Michel G\} and \{de Geus\}, \{Eco J C\} and Boomsma, \{Dorret I\} and Cacioppo, \{John T\}",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.",

year = "2019",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1111/jopy.12397",

language = "English",

volume = "87",

pages = "386--397",

journal = "Journal of Personality",

issn = "0022-3506",

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T1 - Associations between Loneliness and Personality are Mostly Driven by a Genetic Association with Neuroticism

AU - Abdellaoui, Abdel

AU - Chen, Hsi-Yuan

AU - Willemsen, Gonneke

AU - Ehli, Erik A

AU - Davies, Gareth E

AU - Verweij, Karin J H

AU - Nivard, Michel G

AU - de Geus, Eco J C

AU - Boomsma, Dorret I

AU - Cacioppo, John T

PY - 2019/4

Y1 - 2019/4

N2 - OBJECTIVE: Loneliness is an aversive response to a discrepancy between desired and actual social relationships and correlates with personality. We investigate the relationship of loneliness and personality in twin-family and molecular genetic data.METHOD: Phenotypic correlations between loneliness and the Big Five personality traits were estimated in 29,625 adults, and in a group with genome-wide genotype data (N=4,222), genetic correlations were obtained. We explored whether genetic correlations may reflect causal relationships by investigating within monozygotic twin-pair differences (Npairs =2,662), by longitudinal within-subject changes in personality and loneliness (N=4,260-9,238 longitudinal comparisons), and by longitudinal cross-lagged panel analyses (N=15,628). Finally, we tested whether genetic correlations were due to cross-trait assortative mating (Nspouse-pairs =4,436).RESULTS: The strongest correlations with loneliness were observed for neuroticism (r=.55) and extraversion (r=-.33). Only neuroticism showed a high correlation with loneliness independent of other personality traits (r=.50), so follow-up analyses focused on neuroticism. The genetic correlation between loneliness and neuroticism from genotyped variants was .71; a significant reciprocal causal relationship and non-significant cross-trait assortative mating imply that this is at least partly due to mediated pleiotropy.CONCLUSION: We show that the relationship between loneliness and personality is largely explained by its relationship with neuroticism, which is substantially genetic in nature. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

AB - OBJECTIVE: Loneliness is an aversive response to a discrepancy between desired and actual social relationships and correlates with personality. We investigate the relationship of loneliness and personality in twin-family and molecular genetic data.METHOD: Phenotypic correlations between loneliness and the Big Five personality traits were estimated in 29,625 adults, and in a group with genome-wide genotype data (N=4,222), genetic correlations were obtained. We explored whether genetic correlations may reflect causal relationships by investigating within monozygotic twin-pair differences (Npairs =2,662), by longitudinal within-subject changes in personality and loneliness (N=4,260-9,238 longitudinal comparisons), and by longitudinal cross-lagged panel analyses (N=15,628). Finally, we tested whether genetic correlations were due to cross-trait assortative mating (Nspouse-pairs =4,436).RESULTS: The strongest correlations with loneliness were observed for neuroticism (r=.55) and extraversion (r=-.33). Only neuroticism showed a high correlation with loneliness independent of other personality traits (r=.50), so follow-up analyses focused on neuroticism. The genetic correlation between loneliness and neuroticism from genotyped variants was .71; a significant reciprocal causal relationship and non-significant cross-trait assortative mating imply that this is at least partly due to mediated pleiotropy.CONCLUSION: We show that the relationship between loneliness and personality is largely explained by its relationship with neuroticism, which is substantially genetic in nature. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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JO - Journal of Personality

JF - Journal of Personality

IS - 2

ER -

Associations between Loneliness and Personality are Mostly Driven by a Genetic Association with Neuroticism

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