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Neighborhood Characteristics at Birth and Positive and Negative Psychotic Symptoms in Adolescence: Findings From the ALSPAC Birth Cohort.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Urban birth is associated with risk of non-affective psychoses, but the association with subclinical positive and negative symptoms is less clear, despite emerging evidence. Further the extent to which these findings are confounded by polygenic risk scores (PRS) for schizophrenia is also unknown. METHODS:Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, linked to census geographical indicators, we examined whether various indices of urbanicity at birth were associated with negative and positive psychotic symptoms at age 16 and 18 years, respectively. We used logistic regression models, controlling for child's ethnicity, maternal age, education, marital status, social class, depressive symptoms, other neighborhood exposures, and, in a subsample of children of white ethnicity (N = 10 283), PRS for schizophrenia. RESULTS:Amongst 11 879 adolescents, those born in the most densely populated tertile had greater odds of reporting positive psychotic experiences, after multivariable adjustment (odds ratio [OR]: 1.57, 95% confidence intervals (CIs): 1.14-2.17). Adolescents born in the most socially fragmented neighborhoods had greater odds of negative symptoms, after multivariable adjustment (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.06-1.85). Although we found that greater schizophrenia PRS were associated with an increased risk of being born in more deprived and fragmented (bot not more densely populated areas), these associations were not confounded by PRS. INTERPRETATION:Birth into more densely populated and socially fragmented environments increased risk of positive and negative psychotic phenomena in adolescence, respectively, suggesting that different forms of neighborhood social adversity may impinge on different psychopathophysiologies associated with the clinical expression of psychosis.

SUBMITTER: Solmi F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7147568 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Neighborhood Characteristics at Birth and Positive and Negative Psychotic Symptoms in Adolescence: Findings From the ALSPAC Birth Cohort.

Solmi Francesca F Lewis Glyn G Zammit Stanley S Kirkbride James B JB

Schizophrenia bulletin 20200401 3

<h4>Background</h4>Urban birth is associated with risk of non-affective psychoses, but the association with subclinical positive and negative symptoms is less clear, despite emerging evidence. Further the extent to which these findings are confounded by polygenic risk scores (PRS) for schizophrenia is also unknown.<h4>Methods</h4>Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, linked to census geographical indicators, we examined whether various indices of urbanicity at birt ...[more]

PMID: 31167032

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Project description:BackgroundPsychotic experiences (PEs) such as paranoia and hallucinations, and negative symptoms (NS) such as anhedonia and flat affect are common in adolescence. Psychotic experiences and negative symptoms (PENS) increase risk for later psychiatric outcomes, particularly when they persist. The extent to which genetic and environmental influences contribute to the stability of PENS in mid-to-late adolescence is unknown.MethodsUsing the Specific Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire (SPEQ) twice across ~9 months in adolescence, N = 1,448 twin pairs [M = 16.32 (0.68)] reported experiences of paranoia, hallucinations, cognitive disorganization, grandiosity and anhedonia, and their parents reported on a range of NS. Individuals were split into low-scoring, decreasing, increasing and persistent groups for each subscale. Frequencies and mean differences in distress, depression traits and emotional problems were investigated across groups. Longitudinal structural equation modelling was used to estimate the aetiological components underlying the stability of PENS.ResultsPhenotypic stability was moderate for all PENS (r = .59-.69). Persistent PENS across 9 months were associated with greater levels of distress (V = 0.15-0.46, for PEs only), depression traits (d = 0.47-1.67, except grandiosity) and emotional problems (d = 0.47-1.47, except grandiosity and anhedonia) at baseline compared to groups with transitory or low levels of PENS. At both ages PENS were heritable and influenced by shared and nonshared environment. Genetic influences contributed 38%-62% and shared environment contributed 13%-33% to the stability of PENS. Nonshared environment contributed 34%-41% (12% for parent-rated NS). There was strong overlap of genetic and shared environmental influences across time, and lower overlap for nonshared environment. Imperfect stability of PENS was at least partly due to nonshared environmental influences.ConclusionsWhen adolescent PENS persist over time, they are often characterized by more distress, and higher levels of other psychopathology. Both genetic and environmental effects influence stability of PENS.

Dataset Information

Neighborhood Characteristics at Birth and Positive and Negative Psychotic Symptoms in Adolescence: Findings From the ALSPAC Birth Cohort.

Publications

Neighborhood Characteristics at Birth and Positive and Negative Psychotic Symptoms in Adolescence: Findings From the ALSPAC Birth Cohort.

Similar Datasets

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