Investigating Genetic and Environmental Substrates of the Relationship between Positive Mental Health and Biological Aging—A Study Protocol

Abstract

Background: The Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità) funded a 30-month project (July 2021–January 2024) to conduct a twin study of the relationships between Positive Mental Health (PMH) and cellular longevity. Only a few previous studies have focused on the biomarkers of aging in relation to psychological well-being, and none of them exploited the potential of the twin design. Method: In this project, following the standard procedures of the Italian Twin Registry (ITR), we aim to recruit 200 adult twin pairs enrolled in the ITR. They are requested to complete a self-report questionnaire battery on PMH and to undergo a blood withdrawal for the assessment of aging biomarkers, i.e., telomere length and mitochondrial DNA functionality. The association between psychological and aging biomarker measures will be assessed, controlling for genetic and familial confounding effects using the twin study design. Results and conclusions: Biomarker assays are underway. Once data are available for the total study sample, statistical analyses will be performed. The project’s results may shed light on new mechanisms underlying the mind–body connection and may prove helpful to promote psychological well-being in conjunction with biological functioning.

Keywords

• aging
• mental health
• telomere length
• mitochondrial DNA
• twin study
• genetics