Family Psychiatric History Increases Risk for Autism

Rates of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are elevated in first-degree relatives of people with autism spectrum disorders.

Environmental and genetic research into etiologies of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) support both a pleiotropic etiology — one factor with varying phenotypes — and a heterogenic one — varying factors with similar phenotypes (see JW Psychiatry Aug 29 2011 and Mar 17 2008). One understudied pathogenetic area has been the prevalence of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (BP) in family members. To address this knowledge gap, investigators examined histories of schizophrenia and BP in first-degree relatives of ASD probands from three samples: a Swedish national inpatient and outpatient registry (parents and siblings; 77,681 proband–relative pairs; 776,536 control pairs), a registry from ASD treatment facilities in Stockholm (proband–parent pai…

Reviewing Author

Barbara Geller, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Barbara Geller, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose