Abstract
The interrelations among well-being, neuroticism, and depression can be captured in a so-called well-being spectrum (3-phenotype well-being spectrum, 3-WBS). Several other human traits are likely linked to the 3-WBS. In the present study, we investigate how the 3-WBS can be expanded. First, we constructed polygenic risk scores for the 3-WBS and used this score to predict a series of traits that have been associated with well-being in the literature. We included information on loneliness, big five personality traits, self-rated health, and flourishing. The 3-WBS polygenic score predicted all the original 3-WBS traits and additionally loneliness, self-rated health, and extraversion (R2 between 0.62% and 1.58%). Next, using LD score regression, we calculated genetic correlations between the 3-WBS and the traits of interest. From all candidate traits, loneliness and self-rated health were found to have the strongest genetic correlations (rg = − 0.79, and rg= 0.64, respectively) with the 3-WBS. Lastly, we use Genomic SEM to investigate the factor structure of the proposed spectrum. The best model fit was obtained for a two-factor model including the 5-WBS traits, with two highly correlated factors representing the negative- and positive end of the spectrum. Based on these analyses we propose to include loneliness and self-rated health in the WBS and use a 5-phenotype well-being spectrum in future studies to gain more insight into the determinants of human well-being.
Highlights
Many psychiatric disorders share a common genetic liability (Bramon and Sham 2001; Koenen et al 2008; Peerbooms et al 2011)
The traits we examined included the original proposed 3-WBS, as well as loneliness, openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, self-rated health, and flourishing
The results supported the inclusion of loneliness and self-rated health in an extended 5-WBS, where depression, neuroticism, and loneliness cluster at the “negative-end” of the spectrum, and satisfaction with life, happiness and self-rated health cluster at the “positive-end”
Summary
Many psychiatric disorders share a common genetic liability (Bramon and Sham 2001; Koenen et al 2008; Peerbooms et al 2011). This common genetic liability offers an explanation as to why many disorders are comorbid or represent highly similar behaviours. While there have been detailed investigations of the genetic similarity and comorbidity of psychiatric disorders, there is much less information about the genetic similarity of mental health-related traits such as happiness, satisfaction with life, personality, loneliness, self-rated health, and flourishing. It is for that reason that the world health organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic similarity
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