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Family aggregation of mental disorders in the nationwide Danish three generation study

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European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

The study of familial aggregation of major mental disorders in a national population.

Method

Within a Danish register-based cohort study, aggregation of mental disorders was analysed in all case-probands with first psychiatric contact before the age of 19 years in the time period between 1 April 1969 and 29 June 2004 followed up until the age of 35 years, their first-degree relatives, and a matched group of control-probands including their first-degree relatives.

Results

Hazard rate ratios were significantly elevated for cases as compared to controls for all diagnoses among probands, parents, and siblings. Among children of the probands, these ratios were significantly elevated for neurotic (anxiety) disorders, mental retardation, developmental disorders, behavioural and emotional disorders of childhood and adolescence, and miscellaneous disorders. Family aggregation of any diagnosis was significantly higher in probands with substance use disorder, schizophrenia, affective disorders, neurotic (anxiety) disorders, and miscellaneous disorders. There was specificity of familial transmission for affective and neurotic (anxiety) disorders.

Conclusion

This large nationwide study found some differential patterns of familial aggregation of major mental disorders.

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Acknowledgments

H. C. S. and P. M. J. were responsible for conception and design of the study and interpretation of results. L. F. performed all the statistical analyses and G. P. was responsible for data collection and control in the PCR. H. C. S. drafted the article and all other authors revised it critically for intellectual content. The authors are indebted to Per Hove Thomsen for his cheque of the correspondence between ICD-8 and ICD-10 diagnoses.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Aalborg Psychiatric Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, Mølleparkvej 10, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark

    Hans-Christoph Steinhausen MD, Dipl.Psych., PhD

  2. Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Basel, 4055, Basel, Switzerland

    Hans-Christoph Steinhausen MD, Dipl.Psych., PhD

  3. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Neumünsterallee 9, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland

    Hans-Christoph Steinhausen MD, Dipl.Psych., PhD

  4. Centre for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, 8240, Risskov, Denmark

    Leslie Foldager MSc & Gurli Perto

  5. Unit for Psychiatric Research, Aalborg Psychiatric Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark

    Povl Munk-Jørgensen DrMSc

Authors
  1. Hans-Christoph Steinhausen MD, Dipl.Psych., PhD
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  2. Leslie Foldager MSc
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  3. Gurli Perto
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  4. Povl Munk-Jørgensen DrMSc
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hans-Christoph Steinhausen MD, Dipl.Psych., PhD.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table 4

Table 4 Main groups and subgroups of diagnoses and correspondence between ICD-8 and ICD-10 codes
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Steinhausen, HC., Foldager, L., Perto, G. et al. Family aggregation of mental disorders in the nationwide Danish three generation study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 259, 270–277 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-008-0865-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-008-0865-0

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