Known Risk Factors for Sz

From that book by E. F. Torrey I keep touting (see below):

Circumstance / factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . chance of being dx’d with sz

Mother was diagnosed (“dx’d”) with sz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.3 / 100*

Father was diagnosed with sz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.2 / 100

Sibling was diagnosed with sz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.0 / 100

Immigration from or to certain specific countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 / 100

Being the child of one who was born in the new country . . . . . . . . 4.5 / 100

Father was 55 or older at time of sz patient’s birth . . . . . . . . 2.2 - 5.9 / 100

Patient uses marijuana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.1 - 2.9 / 100

Patient is from an urban area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 - 2.8 / 100

Patient has antibodies to toxoplasmosa gondii & past infection . . .2.7 / 100

Patient has minor physical anomalies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.2 / 100

Patient has history of one or more traumatic brain injuries . . . . . . 1.7 / 100

Patient was sexually abused in childhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.3 / 100

Mother had complications during pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 - 1.4 / 100

Patient has specific, genetic polymorphisms . . . . . . . . . . . .1.1 - 1.2 / 100

Patient was born in winter or spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 / 100

Patient’s mother was pregnant during a flu epidemic . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 / 100

*people who have been dx’d with sz

3 Likes

an ant :ant: with a machine gun :gun: !?!
take care :alien:

A nihilist with ideas?

1 Like

i like hamsters… :hamster:
take care :alien:

I like “reciprocal reactivity.” It’s entertaining when I am otherwise bored and feel the temporary need to see if the rats have learned how to reach the end of the maze yet. (And I do understand how crucial it is for some to believe they are on “top.” :sunglasses: )

1 Like

sorry i am busy trying to find my way out of the maze… !?! :smiley:
take care :alien:

Disgusting. Is that your true face?

1 Like

I hear one of the biggest risks is eating too many carrots. it reduces your ph levels. it has to do with reverse osmosis of the cellular structures :wink:

LevelJ1 Vanishes :blush:

1 Like

Please. You know better than that. (Look at the context here.) (Maybe as well as your own reactivity? :neutral_face: )

I can make fun of myself. (Some usually can’t, but find they can when someone else does.)

1 Like

Well if they get out the maze they might just get put back in their respective boxes that had them clawing to escape in the first place…

Have you escaped this maze? Do they set you free or put you in a cage when you did?

1 Like

I’ve always felt a traumatic environmental incident could be the catalyst for the onset of Sz. I don’t see it on the list except for sexual abuse in childhood which is a pretty specific category.

1 Like

Has research moved on since FT published that list in his book?

There are several correlates to sz I have read about that were not included in this list. My guess is that all of those I know about are either

  1. so “extreme” that they show up in only a small # dx’d sz pts, or…

  2. are so subtle (like so much of the stuff described anecdotally in the books listed below) that they are extremely difficult to define for research purposes and to quantify accurately.

Bateson, G., Jackson, D., Haley, J.; et al: Perceval’s Narrative: A Patient’s Account of his Psychosis, Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 1961.

Esterson, A.: The Leaves of Spring: Schizophrenia, Family and Sacrifice, London: Tavistock, 1972.

Henry, J.: Pathways to Madness, New York: Random House, 1965.

Jackson, D. (ed.): The Etiology of Schizophrenia: Genetics / Physiology / Psychology / Sociology, London: Basic Books, 1960.

Jackson, D.: Myths of Madness: New Facts for Old Fallacies, New York: Macmillan & Co., 1964.

Laing, R. D.; Esterson, A.: Sanity, Madness and the Family, London: Tavistock, 1964.

Lidz, T.: The Origin and Treatment of Schizophrenic Disorders, New York: Basic Books, 1973.

Lidz, T.; Fleck, S., Cornelison, A.: Schizophrenia and the Family, 2nd Ed.; New York: International Universities Press, 1985.

my grandad had it, but i didnt know this until after i was diagnosed, he was also granted a certificate of sanity after many years at the asylum (cant believe they let him out) but yeah

my mums hearing was deteriorating growing up and this may have had an effect on me (not sure) but my sister turned out ok so go figure.

I’ve heard a number of chronically mentally ill people tell me their mothers could not hear them (for one reason or another) and that – to these patients – that inability to communicate with mother (another research-demonstrated correlate for sz) was experienced as very stressful. Stress > allostatic load on the autonomic nervous system. Allostatic load + genetic predisposition often > sz. Sigh.

1 Like

its hard to try and pin it down to specific things but yeah, (my Grandad actually got better) fills me with a sense of hope for my situation, maybe he was just high functioning but he wasnt taking medication when they let him out.

he ended up buying a motor bike which my dad helped him push all around Scotland (my dad use to say) i think my dad had to put up with a lot from his dad and then me but he was always a positive person (my dad) despite this. some people are just naturally mentally strong,

You’re right. I know better than that. Sorry.
When it gets rough I act rather like a child who sees his parents give their attention to someone, something else.
I’ll try to stay away and keep distance.

1 Like

One thing I noticed missing from the list was poor peer relationships/social functioning

http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/11/23/poor-social-functioning-in-childhood-linked-to-greater-schizophrenia-risk/62423.html

This has always been a problem for me but I have a feeling additional factors have to come into play to tip things over to full blown schizophrenia.

The researchers found that patients in the transition group had significantly poorer baseline ratings in domain four (getting along with people) of the WHODAS-II than those who did not progress to full-blown psychosis. This was mainly caused by greater difficulties on the items “making new friends,” “maintaining a friendship,” and “dealing with people you do not know.”

https://www.medwirenews.com/mental-health/psychotic-disorders/social-disability-may-predict-psychosis-in-at-risk-patients/90910?searchBackButton=true

I was very much the outsider at school and can only remember having one person I was quite friendly with but not friendly enough to maintain that friendship when I got older and progressed to a different school.

its all in the ■■■■■■■ genes

Oh, Sara, I like you so much. :two_hearts:

1 Like