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Bipolar disorder (BD) is seen as highly hereditable, with identical-twin concordance rates ranging from 40% to 70% and heritability estimates as high as 90%. Still, environmental factors also affect risk for BD. To ascertain the relative contributions of adverse childhood events (ACEs) and genetic risk, investigators studied 1615 individuals with BD type 1 (mean age, 44; 64% women; mean age at onset [AAO], 19).
All participants completed an ACEs scale assessing death of parent or sibling, chronic illness, long-term hospitalizations, permanent illness or disability, physical abuse, receiving threats of death or injury, leaving home unexpectedly, and serious unexpected life changes. A polygenic risk score (PRS) for each participant was derived…