University of Rochester Child and Family Study: risk research in progress

The University of Rochester Child and Family Study (URCAFS) is a risk research program concerned with cross-sectional and developmental relationships among three areas: parental psychopathology and health, family system functioning and dysfunctioning, and child psychopathology and health. The preliminary findings indicate that both parental psychopathology and family variables predict significantly to independent measures of school functioning of index sons during their childhood and early adolescence. Although the offspring have not yet reached the age of major risk for schizophrenia, 52 percent of the families have one or more offspring either in psychiatric treatment or for whom treatment had been recommended.