Behavior Genetics of Psychopathology

About the author: Erik G. Willcutt is the author of the chapter: "Behavioral Genetic Approaches to Understand the Etiology of Comorbidity" and is an associate director in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Book description:  As a dynamic, interdisciplinary field, behavior genetics and its evolution are being followed closely by scientists across the psychological and medical domains. The discoveries surrounding the human genome and the advancement in molecular genetic technologies have  led to studies becoming increasingly sophisticated and yielding  yet more conclusive and useful results. This is certainly the case in the area of child and adult psychopathology.

Behavior Genetics of Psychopathology summarizes the state of the field, examining the role of genes and environment as they affect common neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions. Emphasizing key research areas (comorbidities, twin studies, the integration of methods), the book assesses the current literature, offers up-to-date findings, sorts through lingering controversies, and identifies a clear future agenda for the field. Expertly-written chapters focus on issues of both general salience that shape behavior genetics of psychopathology, to specific disorders of major clinical importance, among them:

• ADHD: the view from quantitative genetic research.
• Autism spectrum disorders and their complex heterogeneity
• Genetic influences on anxiety and depression in childhood and adolescence.
• Evidence for etiologically-defined subgroups within the construct of antisocial behavior.
• Sleep and psychopathology: the reasons for their co-occurrence.
• Behavioral genetic approaches to the etiology of comorbidity.
• Epigenetics of psychopathology.

This combination of timeliness and depth of coverage make Behavior Genetics of Psychopathology a frontline resource for behavior geneticists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and neuroscientists, and is perfectly suited to graduate students looking to join these fields.

Publication date: Jan. 1, 2014

Publisher: Springer New York

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