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The British Journal of Psychiatry (2005) 187: 101-102
© 2005 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

EDITORIALS

Social defeat: risk factor for schizophrenia?

JEAN-PAUL SELTEN, MD PhD

Department of Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

ELIZABETH CANTOR-GRAAE, PhD

Department of Community Medicine, Lund University, University Hospital UMAS, Malmö, Sweden

Correspondence: Dr J. P. Selten, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 30 2508180; fax: +31 30 2505443; e-mail: j.p.selten{at}azu.nl

Declaration of interest None.

ABSTRACT

The hypothesis that chronic and long-term experience of ‘socialdefeat’ may increase the risk for schizophrenia is proposed. This increased risk may result from sensitisation of the mesolimbic dopamine system and/or increased baseline activity of this system. Data supporting the social defeat hypothesis are presented.

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