Sammendrag
ABSTRACT
Are happiness and depression related or completely distinct constructs? Using data from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health Twin Panel, we investigated the common and specific genetic and environmental contributions to subjective well-being (SWB) and liability to lifetime major depression. The results show that a substantial portion of both genetic and non-shared environmental variance is shared between major depressive disorder and SWB. These findings indicate that intervention and treatment aiming to increase SWB may decrease the risk of major depression. Results also indicate that morbidity and vitality may not be entirely distinct constructs at least from a genetic point of view.