Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Family conflict is associated with low self-control in adolescence. Thus far research about the direction of this association is inconclusive. In this study, we sort out whether this association reflects a causal effect or whether it is explained by a common underlying cause, including genetic factors.
METHOD: In twin data, we fitted a series of causal models, and compared models for the association of family conflict and self-control including reciprocal causation, unidirectional causation from family conflict to low self-control, unidirectional causation from low self-control to family conflict, and common genetic susceptibility. We included data of a large sample of twins aged 14 (N=9,173), all enrolled in the Netherlands Twin Register.
RESULTS: The results suggested a unidirectional pathway model where family conflict leads to low self-control in adolescence, with genetic factors also playing a role in explaining the association.
CONCLUSION: Adolescents experiencing family conflict are at risk to show hampered self-control capacities, with family conflict being a robust predictor of low self-control through common genetic factors but also through direct causal influences.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 254-262 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry |
| Volume | 59 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 13 Mar 2019 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2020 |
Funding
This work was supported by the following grants: Database Twin Register [Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) 575-25-006]; Spinozapremie (NWO/SPI 56-464-14192); a Twin-Family Database for Behavior Genetics and Genomics Studies (NWO 480-04-004); BBMRI –NL: Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (NWO 184.021.007); Genetics of Mental Illness: European Research Council (ERC-230374); Genetic and Family Influences on Adolescent Psychopathology and Wellness (NWO 463-06-001); a Twin-Sib Study of Adolescent Wellness (NWO-VENI 451-04-034); Genetic Influences on Stability and Change in Psychopathology From Childhood to Young Adulthood (NWO/ZonMW 91210020); Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute (former EMGO+); Neuroscience Amsterdam Research Institute (former NCA); Developmental Study of Attention Problems in Young Twins (NIMH RO1 MH58799-03); Determinants of Adolescent Exercise Behavior (NIH 1R01DK092127-01); Netherlands Twin Registry Repository: Researching the Interplay Between Genome and Environment (NWO-large investment 480-15-001/674); Consortium on Individual Development (CID), which is funded through the gravitation program of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO 0240-001-003); ACTION funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013, grant no. 602768); and the Research Talent Fund (NWO 406-15-132). Disclosure: Drs. de Zeeuw, van Beijsterveldt, Boomsma, Bartels, and Finkenauer, and Ms. Willems have reported no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute | |
| BBMRI | |
| Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure | 184.021.007 |
| Genetics of Mental Illness: European Research Council | 463-06-001, NWO-VENI 451-04-034, NWO/ZonMW 91210020, ERC-230374 |
| NWO-large | 480-15-001/674 |
| National Institutes of Health | 1R01DK092127-01 |
| National Institute of Mental Health | RO1 MH58799-03, R01MH058799 |
| Seventh Framework Programme | 602768, 406-15-132 |
| Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap | |
| Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek | 0240-001-003 |
| Seventh Framework Programme | |
| Amsterdam Neuroscience |
Keywords
- environment
- family conflict
- genetics
- self-control
- twins
Cohort Studies
- Netherlands Twin Register (NTR)
