This study explored genetic and environmental contributions to optimism, depressive symptoms, and the association between the two using a genetically informative sample from the Nonshared Environment and Adolescent Development project (NEAD: D. Reiss; J. M. Neiderhiser; E. M. Hetherington; & R. Plomin, 2000. At Time 1 of the longitudinal NEAD study, the sample consisted of 720 samesex twins and sibling pairs from two parent families. The study used parent, adolescent, and observer ratings of depressive symptoms as well as adolescent ratings of optimism. The results revealed that genetic influences explained approximately half of the variability in optimism and depressive symptoms. Nonshared environmental influences also substantially contributed to optimism and depressive symptoms. Bivariate genetic analyses (which partitioned the covariance between optimism and depressive symptoms into genetic and environmental components) indicated that genetic influences accounted for a moderate percentage of the association.