TY - JOUR

T1 - The Danish High Risk and Resilience Study--VIA 7--a cohort study of 520 7-year-old children born of parents diagnosed with either schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or neither of these two mental disorders

AU - Thorup, Anne A E

AU - Jepsen, Jens Richardt

AU - Ellersgaard, Ditte Vestbjerg

AU - Burton, Birgitte Klee

AU - Christiani, Camilla Jerlang

AU - Hemager, Nicoline

AU - Skjærbæk, Mette

AU - Ranning, Anne

AU - Spang, Katrine Søborg

AU - Gantriis, Ditte Lou

AU - Greve, Aja Neergaard

AU - Zahle, Kate Kold

AU - Mors, Ole

AU - Plessen, Kerstin Jessica

AU - Nordentoft, Merete

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - BACKGROUND: Severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are known to be diseases that to some extent, but not entirely can be understood genetically. The dominating hypothesis is that these disorders should be understood in a neurodevelopmental perspective where genes and environment as well as gene-environment-interactions contribute to the risk of developing the disease. We aim to analyse the influences of genetic risk and environmental factors in a population of 520 7-year-old children with either 0, 1 or 2 parents diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum psychosis or bipolar disorder on mental health and level of functioning. We hypothesize that a larger proportion of children growing up with an ill parent will display abnormal or delayed development, behavioural problems or psychiatric symptoms compared to the healthy controls.METHODS/DESIGN: We are establishing a cohort of 5207 year old children and both their parents for a comprehensive investigation with main outcome measures being neurocognition, behaviour, psychopathology and neuromotor development of the child. Parents and children are examined with a comprehensive battery of instruments and are asked for genetic material (saliva or blood) for genetic analyses. The participants are recruited via Danish registers to ensure representativity. Data from registers concerning social status, birth complications, somatic illnesses and hospitalization are included in the database. Psychological and relational factors like emotional climate in the family, degree of stimulation and support in the home and attachment style are also investigated.DISCUSSION: Data collection started January 1, 2013, and is successfully ongoing. By Aug 2015 424 families are included. About 20% of the invited families decline to participate, equal for all groups.

AB - BACKGROUND: Severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are known to be diseases that to some extent, but not entirely can be understood genetically. The dominating hypothesis is that these disorders should be understood in a neurodevelopmental perspective where genes and environment as well as gene-environment-interactions contribute to the risk of developing the disease. We aim to analyse the influences of genetic risk and environmental factors in a population of 520 7-year-old children with either 0, 1 or 2 parents diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum psychosis or bipolar disorder on mental health and level of functioning. We hypothesize that a larger proportion of children growing up with an ill parent will display abnormal or delayed development, behavioural problems or psychiatric symptoms compared to the healthy controls.METHODS/DESIGN: We are establishing a cohort of 5207 year old children and both their parents for a comprehensive investigation with main outcome measures being neurocognition, behaviour, psychopathology and neuromotor development of the child. Parents and children are examined with a comprehensive battery of instruments and are asked for genetic material (saliva or blood) for genetic analyses. The participants are recruited via Danish registers to ensure representativity. Data from registers concerning social status, birth complications, somatic illnesses and hospitalization are included in the database. Psychological and relational factors like emotional climate in the family, degree of stimulation and support in the home and attachment style are also investigated.DISCUSSION: Data collection started January 1, 2013, and is successfully ongoing. By Aug 2015 424 families are included. About 20% of the invited families decline to participate, equal for all groups.

KW - Bipolar Disorder

KW - Child

KW - Child of Impaired Parents

KW - Denmark

KW - Developmental Disabilities

KW - Epidemiologic Methods

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Mental Health

KW - Parents

KW - Resilience, Psychological

KW - Schizophrenia

KW - Social Class

U2 - 10.1186/s12888-015-0616-5

DO - 10.1186/s12888-015-0616-5

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26432691

VL - 15

SP - 1

EP - 15

JO - B M C Psychiatry

JF - B M C Psychiatry

SN - 1471-244X

M1 - 15:233

ER -