RT Journal
A1 Goldstein JM, Buka SL, Seidman LJ, Tsuang MT
T1 SPecificity of familial transmission of schizophrenia psychosis spectrum and affective psychoses in the new england family study’s high-risk design
JF Archives of General Psychiatry
JO Archives of General Psychiatry
YR 2010
FD May 1
VO 67
IS 5
SP 458
OP 467
DO 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.38
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.38
AB Context 
    There is a long history of research on the familial transmission of schizophrenia and other psychoses. However, few studies have investigated the specificity of the transmission of schizophrenia-psychosis spectrum (SPS) disorders and affective psychoses (APs) or observed high-risk offspring into mid-adulthood.Objectives 
    To investigate the transmission of psychoses from parents to their offspring and the specificity of transmission across psychosis subtypes.Design 
    High-risk follow-up study.Setting 
    New England Family Study's High-Risk Study, with population-based community sampling from Boston, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island.Participants 
    A total of 203 high-risk offspring of 159 parents with diagnoses of psychoses (SPS and AP) and 147 control offspring of 114 control parents.Main Outcome Measures 
    Systematically assessed research DSM-IV psychiatric diagnoses for adult offspring.Results 
    Compared with those of control parents, offspring of parents with SPS had a significant, almost 6-fold elevated risk of SPS disorders and a nonsignificant doubling of risk for AP. Offspring of parents with AP had a significant 14-fold elevated risk for AP compared with offspring of controls; for SPS disorders, the risk doubled but was not significant.Conclusion 
    Having a parent with psychosis significantly increased the risk for psychosis among offspring and demonstrated specificity for the transmission of SPS disorders and APs within families.