Developmental trajectories of psychosis in population-based samples: interplay between early adversity and familial risk

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Mental health problems such as psychosis (e.g., schizophrenia) can be extremely disabling and result in massive costs for the individual, NHS services and society in general. Greater understanding of what factors are involved in development and persistence of such disorders would assist attempts to prevent and treat them. One of the major factors thought to cause psychosis is an individual‘s genetic make-up but environmental factors are also thought to play a role, possibly in combination with genes. Therefore, I propose to investigate whether individuals who have been exposed to potentially distressing experiences in childhood (severely beaten by or separated from their parents) and have a genetic risk (positive family history) are more likely to experience psychotic symptoms (such as hearing voices) over a long period of time and require treatment for psychosis during the life-course than individuals with only one or neither of these factors. To test this proposition I will analyse data from four different longitudinal studies: three general population birth cohorts in adolescence and adulthood and a 10-year follow-up of clinically diagnosed psychosis patients on whom information is available about their family and childhood history and experience of psychotic symptoms and mental health treatment at different time points.