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Association between stressful life events and psychotic experiences in adolescence: evidence for gene-environment
Sania Shakoor1, Helena M S Zavos2, Claire M A Haworth2
1Sania Shakoor, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London; Helena M. S. Zavos, PhD, King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Claire M. A. Haworth, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry;, Phillip McGuire, PhD, MD, FRCPsych, King's College London, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Alastair G. Cardno, PhD, MMedSc, FRCPsych, MBChB, Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds; Daniel Freeman, PhD, DClinPsy, CPsychol, FBPsS, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford; Angelica Ronald, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK sania.shakoor@googlemail.com.
Background:
Stressful life events (SLEs) are associated with psychotic experiences. SLEs might act as an environmental risk factor, but may also share a genetic propensity with psychotic experiences.
Aims:
To estimate the extent to which genetic and environmental factors influence the relationship between SLEs and psychotic experiences.
Method:
Self- and parent reports from a community-based twin sample (4830 16-year-old pairs) were analysed using structural equation model fitting.
Results:
SLEs correlated with positive psychotic experiences (r = 0.12-0.14, all P<0.001). Modest heritability was shown for psychotic experiences (25-57%) and dependent SLEs (32%). Genetic influences explained the majority of the modest covariation between dependent SLEs and paranoia and cognitive disorganisation (bivariate heritabilities 74-86%). The relationship between SLEs and hallucinations and grandiosity was explained by both genetic and common environmental effects.
Conclusions:
Further to dependent SLEs being an environmental risk factor, individuals may have an underlying genetic propensity increasing their risk of dependent SLEs and positive psychotic experiences.
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