This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Related articles in BJP
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Niemi, L. T.
Right arrow Articles by Lönnqvist, J. K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Niemi, L. T.
Right arrow Articles by Lönnqvist, J. K.
The British Journal of Psychiatry (2004) 185: 11-17
© 2004 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Cumulative incidence of mental disorders among offspring of mothers with psychotic disorder

Results from the Helsinki High-Risk Study

Laura T. Niemi, MD, Jaana M. Suvisaari, MD PhD, Jari K. Haukka, PhD, Gunnel Wrede, PhD and Jouko K. Lönnqvist, MD PhD

Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

Correspondence: Dr Laura Niemi, Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, KTL, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, FIN-00300 Helsinki, Finland. Tel: +358 9 4744 8894; fax: +358 9 4744 8478; e-mail: laura.niemi{at}ktl.fi

Declaration of interest None. Funding detailed in Acknowledgements.

Background The Helsinki High-Risk Study follows up all women born between 1916 and 1948 and treated for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders in psychiatric hospitals in Helsinki, their offspring born between 1960 and 1964, and controls.

Aims To determine the cumulative incidence of adulthood Axis I disorders among offspring.

Method Using all hospital and out-patient treatment records we rediagnosed parents and offspring according to DSM–IV–TR criteria. Offspring were grouped by mother’s diagnosis (schizophrenia n=104, schizoaffective disorder n=20, other schizophrenia-spectrum disorder n=30, and affective disorder n=25) and compared with a control group (n=176). The cumulative incidences of Axis I disorders among offspring were calculated.

Results The cumulative incidences of any psychotic disorder were 13.5%, 10.0%, 10.0%, 4.0% and 1.1% among offspring of mothers with schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, other schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, affective disorders and controls, respectively. The corresponding figures for schizophrenia were 6.7%, 5.0%, 6.7%, 0% and 0.6%, and for any mental disorder 23.1%, 20.0%, 20.0%, 12.0% and 6.9%.

Conclusions Offspring of mothers with a psychotic disorder have heightened risk of developing a wide range of severe mental disorders.


Related articles in BJP:

Highlights of this issue

BJP 2004 185: 1-a3. [Full Text]  

Peter Tyrer
BJP 2004 185: 92. [Full Text]  



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Br. J. PsychiatryHome page
S. J. GLATT, W. S. STONE, S. V. FARAONE, L. J. SEIDMAN, and M. T. TSUANG
Psychopathology, personality traits and social development of young first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia
The British Journal of Psychiatry, October 1, 2006; 189(4): 337 - 345.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br. J. PsychiatryHome page
M. Weiser, J. van Os, and M. Davidson
Time for a shift in focus in schizophrenia: from narrow phenotypes to broad endophenotypes
The British Journal of Psychiatry, September 1, 2005; 187(3): 203 - 205.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br. J. PsychiatryHome page
S. K. Chaturvedi and L. T. Niemi
Risk reduction studies in schizophrenia * Author's reply:
The British Journal of Psychiatry, April 1, 2005; 186(4): 355 - 356.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br. J. PsychiatryHome page
L. T. NIEMI, J. M. SUVISAARI, J. K. HAUKKA, and J. K. LONNQVIST
Childhood predictors of future psychiatric morbidity in offspring of mothers with psychotic disorder: Results from the Helsinki High-Risk Study
The British Journal of Psychiatry, February 1, 2005; 186(2): 108 - 114.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BMJHome page
Minerva
BMJ, July 31, 2004; 329(7460): 300 - 300.
[Full Text] [PDF]