Takeaway
- Genetic liability to schizophrenia in mothers and children was associated with exposure to traumatic events across childhood and adolescence.
- Findings suggest that genetic liability for schizophrenia and exposure to childhood trauma has some specificity to the home environment and that youth at higher genetic risk might need better resources/support to ensure they grow up in a healthy environment.
Study design
- This study used data from 2 international birth cohorts, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) and the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), to evaluate the association between polygenic scores (PGS) for schizophrenia and childhood trauma exposure.
- Funding: Medical Research Council and others.
- ALSPAC study:
- Schizophrenia PGS of both children (n=7426; OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.08-1.20) and mothers (n=7380; OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.06-1.20) showed a positive association with exposure to trauma across childhood and adolescence (age range, 0-17 years).
- There was no strong evidence of an association with schizophrenia PGS of fathers (n=1215; age range, 0-17 years: OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.92–1.17).
- Majority of trauma subtypes, except for bullying, correlated with schizophrenia PGS.
- MoBa study:
- A positive association was seen between the schizophrenia PGS of both children (n=7244; OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02-1.14) and mothers (n=7009; OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.04-1.16) and trauma exposures at age 8 years.
- The evidence of an association with schizophrenia PGS of fathers was weak (n=7153; OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.00-1.11).
- Selection bias.
- Father-based analyses were underpowered.
References
References
