Examining psychotic experiences in two generations - Findings from a rural household-based cohort study; The Lolland-Falster Health Study

Martin Køster Rimvall*, Erik Simonsen, Jiawei Zhang, Zorana Jovanovic Andersen, Lene Halling Hastrup, Pia Jeppesen, Stephen F. Austin, Susanne Vinkel Koch

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

Abstract

Background
Psychotic disorders are highly heritable, yet the evidence is less clear for subclinical psychosis expression, such as psychotic experiences (PEs). We examined if PEs in parents were associated with PEs in offspring.

Methods
As part of the Danish general population Lolland-Falster Health Study, families with youths aged 11–17 years were included. Both children and parents reported PEs according to the Psychotic Like Experiences Questionnaire, counting only ‘definite’ PEs. Parents additionally reported depressive symptoms, anxiety, and mental wellbeing. The associations between parental and child PEs were estimated using generalized estimating equations with an exchangeable correlation structure to account for the clustering of observations within families, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics.

Results
Altogether, 984 youths (mean age 14.3 years [S.D. 2.0]), 700 mothers, and 496 fathers from 766 households completed PEs-questionnaires. Offspring of parents with PEs were at an increased risk of reporting PEs themselves (mothers: adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 2.42, 95% CI 1.73–3.38; fathers: aRR 2.25, 95% CI 1.42–3.59). Other maternal problems (depression, anxiety, and poor mental well-being), but not paternal problems, were also associated with offspring PEs. In multivariate models adjusting for parental problems, PEs, but not other parental problems, were robustly associated with offspring PEs (mothers: aRR 2.25, 95% CI 1.60–3.19; fathers: aRR 2.44, 95% CI 1.50–3.96).

Conclusions
The current findings add novel evidence suggesting that specific psychosis vulnerability in families is expressed at the lower end of the psychosis continuum, underlining the importance of assessing youths’ needs based on psychosis vulnerability broadly within the family systems.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftPsychological Medicine
Vol/bind54
Udgave nummer7
Antal sider9
ISSN0033-2917
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2024

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
LOFUS is funded by Region Zealand, Nykøbing Falster Hospital, and Lolland and Guldborgsund municipalities (all Denmark). The child and adolescent study of LOFUS is further supported by Psychiatry Region Zealand, Mental Health Services – Capital Region of Denmark, and AP Møller's Medical Foundation (all Denmark).

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press.

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