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The association between childhood relocations and subsequent risk of suicide attempt, psychiatric problems, and low academic achievement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2015

L. M. Bramson ,
M. E. Rickert ,
Q. A. Class ,
A. Sariaslan ,
C. Almqvist ,
H. Larsson ,
P. Lichtenstein  and
B. M. D'Onofrio
L. M. Bramson*
Affiliation:
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
M. E. Rickert
Affiliation:
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
Q. A. Class
Affiliation:
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
A. Sariaslan
Affiliation:
University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
C. Almqvist
Affiliation:
Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
H. Larsson
Affiliation:
Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
P. Lichtenstein
Affiliation:
Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
B. M. D'Onofrio
Affiliation:
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: L. M. Bramson, BS, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Given the frequency with which families change residences, the effects of childhood relocations have gained increasing research attention. Many researchers have demonstrated that childhood relocations are associated with a variety of adverse outcomes. However, drawing strong causal claims remains problematic due to uncontrolled confounding factors.

Method

We utilized longitudinal, population-based Swedish registers to generate a nationally representative sample of offspring born 1983–1997 (n = 1 510 463). Using Cox regression and logistic regression, we examined the risk for numerous adverse outcomes after childhood relocation while controlling for measured covariates. To account for unmeasured genetic and environmental confounds, we also compared differentially exposed cousins and siblings.

Results

In the cohort baseline model, each annual relocation was associated with risk for the adverse outcomes, including suicide attempt [hazard ratio (HR) 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19–1.20]. However, when accounting for offspring and parental covariates (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.07–1.09), as well as genetic and environmental confounds shared by cousins (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.05–1.09) and siblings (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.97–1.04), the risk for suicide attempt attenuated. We found a commensurate pattern of results for severe mental illness, substance abuse, criminal convictions, and low academic achievement.

Conclusions

Previous research may have overemphasized the independent association between relocations and later adverse outcomes. The results suggest that the association between childhood relocations and suicide attempt, psychiatric problems, and low academic achievement is partially explained by genetic and environmental confounds correlated with relocations. This study demonstrates the importance of using family-based, quasi-experimental designs to test plausible alternate hypotheses when examining causality.

Keywords

Behavior geneticsbipolar disorderpsychopathologyrelocationssibling comparisonssuicideschizophrenia
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 46 , Issue 5 , April 2016 , pp. 969 - 979
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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