EXPLORING THE GENOME-WIDE GENETIC OVERLAP BETWEEN ANXIETY AND FEAR DISORDERS

: Background: Twin studies have consistently shown a high genetic overlap amongst anxiety disorders and depression. Some research has also identified modest genetic specificity to fear-based anxiety disorders not shared with general anxiety. Identifying the genetic variants shared amongst all anxiety disorders or specific to one or more requires large sample sizes. Measuring anxiety disorders in large cohorts typically involves in-depth symptom-based diagnoses or minimally phenotyped single-item self-report diagnoses. A trade-off exists between maximising sample size and the level of detail in the phenotyping. Aims: First, to explore genetic correlations between generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and the fear disorders (panic disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobia and social phobia) using a combination of in-depth and minimal phenotyping. Second, to compare the results from using minimal phenotyping of the anxiety disorders to that of in-depth phenotyping. Methods: We will use two case-only samples for analyses: the Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression (GLAD) Study (∼N = 18,000) and the Australian Genetics of Depression Study (AGDS) (∼18,000). In addition, we will use three studies that provide both cases and controls: the COVID-19 Psychiatric and Neurological Genetics (COPING) study (N = ∼10,000), the QSkin study (N = ∼18,000) and the UK Biobank (N = ∼157,366). We will conduct three independent sets of case-control anxiety disorder genome-wide association studies (GWAS) before meta-analysing all five samples together (expected N cases ∼53,000, N controls ∼160,000). Results from GWAS meta-analyses of lifetime anxiety disorder, GAD, and fear-based disorders will be used to explore genetic correlations across anxiety disorders and depression and a wide range of complex traits. As sensitivity analyses, we will explore genetic correlations between anxiety phenotypes assessed using minimally phenotyped single-item diagnoses versus in-depth symptom-based diagnoses. Results: We hypothesise that the anxiety disorders will have a SNP-based heritability of approximately 15%. We also hypothesise that GAD and fear-based disorders will be moderately to highly genetically correlated, with some genetic variants that are specific to the fear disorders [1]. Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Reconceptualizing blended learning as a teaching strategy for English language learners

This article explores the efficacy of blended learning in English language classrooms. Many schools all over the world have decided to employ various online and blended courses in their courses, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Corporations that build learning management systems (LMS) for blended learning, as well as “boxed” curricula, have presented their materials as a means of student-centered learning, but what about those students who really need peer-to-peer and student-to-teacher interactions to further develop fluency, and cannot get enough of that interaction in a blended learning environment? Instructors should not only take a more active role in blended learning environments to make sure all students are thriving, but they should also design their own blended learning curricula or modify existing “boxed” curricula to more appropriately help their students succeed. © 2020 Asociacion Mexicana de Maestros de Ingles MEXTESOL A.C. All rights reserved.