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Daily stressors and negative life events in children at elevated risk of developing schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Alexis E. Cullen ,
Helen L. Fisher ,
Ruth E. Roberts ,
Carmine M. Pariante  and
Kristin R. Laurens
Alexis E. Cullen*
Affiliation:
Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK
Helen L. Fisher
Affiliation:
MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK
Ruth E. Roberts
Affiliation:
Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK
Carmine M. Pariante
Affiliation:
Section of Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology & Perinatal Psychiatry, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK
Kristin R. Laurens
Affiliation:
Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK, and Research Unit for Schizophrenia Epidemiology, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
*
Alexis E. Cullen, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences (Box P023), Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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Background

Psychological stress is implicated in the development of schizophrenia, but little is known about experiences of stress among children at elevated risk for the disorder.

Aims

To examine stressor exposure and reactivity in children with different vulnerability profiles for schizophrenia: (a) children presenting multiple antecedents of schizophrenia (ASz group), (b) children with a family history of schizophrenia (FHx group) and (c) typically developing low-risk (TD) children.

Method

Ninety-five children (ASz = 29; FHx = 19; ASz+FHx = 5; TD = 42), identified aged 9–12 years using a community-based screening procedure or as relatives of individuals with schizophrenia, completed questionnaires assessing environmental stressors and psychopathology at age 11–14 years.

Results

Relative to their typically developing peers, children in the FHx and ASz groups were exposed to a greater number of negative life events and a higher frequency of daily stressors, respectively; and were more distressed by these experiences.

Conclusions

Stress exposure and reactivity may constitute useful targets of early intervention for psychosis.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 204 , Issue 5 , May 2014 , pp. 354 - 360
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2014 

Footnotes

∗

Senior author.

This work was supported by funding to K.R.L. from a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Career Development Fellowship (CDF/08/01/015); a Bial Foundation Research Grant (35/06); a NARSAD Young Investigator Award (2005); and the British Medical Association Margaret Temple Award for schizophrenia research (2006). H.L.F. was supported by a Medical Research Council (MRC) Population Health Scientist award (G1002366).

Declaration of interest

None.

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