TY - JOUR
T1 - Transgenerational effects of genocide exposure on the risk and course of schizophrenia
T2 - A population-based study
AU - Levine, Stephen Z.
AU - Levav, Itzhak
AU - Pugachova, Inna
AU - Yoffe, Rinat
AU - Becher, Yifat
N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (grant no. 130/13 ) to Dr. Levine. This work may or may not reflect the views of the funding body. The funding body provided no feedback on this manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2016/10/1
Y1 - 2016/10/1
N2 - Background Hypotheses about the sequel of parental genocide exposures on the offspring's risk and course of schizophrenia remain untested. Aims To test hypotheses related to the transgenerational transmission of parental genocide exposure on the risk and course of schizophrenia. Methods Data were extracted from the National Population Register on all offspring (N = 51.233; born: 1948–1989) whose parents were born (1922 to 1945) in Nazi- dominated European nations. Both parents either immigrated before (indirect exposure: n = 1627, 3.2%) or after (direct exposure: n = 49.606, 96.8%) the Nazi era. Offspring subgroups were identified from the initial timing of parental exposure (e.g., likely in utero, combined in utero and postnatal, or postnatal). Schizophrenia disorders were ascertained (1950–2014) from the National Psychiatric Case Registry. Cox models were computed to compare the offspring groups with respect to the risk and the adverse course of schizophrenia, adjusting for confounders. Results The offspring rates on the risk and course of schizophrenia did not differ by parental affiliation to the direct and indirect exposure groups. Cox models showed that offspring subgroups with maternal Holocaust exposures in utero only (HR = 1.74, 1.13, 2.66) and combined in utero and postnatal (HR = 1.48, 1.05, 2.10); as well as paternal Holocaust exposures combined in utero and postnatal (HR = 1.48, 1.08, 2.05), and early postnatal (aged 1–2; HR = 1.49, 1.10, 2.00) had a significantly (P < 0.05) higher psychiatric re-hospitalization rate than the indirect group. Conclusions Transgenerational genocide exposure was unrelated to the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring, but was related to a course of deterioration during selected critical periods of early life.
AB - Background Hypotheses about the sequel of parental genocide exposures on the offspring's risk and course of schizophrenia remain untested. Aims To test hypotheses related to the transgenerational transmission of parental genocide exposure on the risk and course of schizophrenia. Methods Data were extracted from the National Population Register on all offspring (N = 51.233; born: 1948–1989) whose parents were born (1922 to 1945) in Nazi- dominated European nations. Both parents either immigrated before (indirect exposure: n = 1627, 3.2%) or after (direct exposure: n = 49.606, 96.8%) the Nazi era. Offspring subgroups were identified from the initial timing of parental exposure (e.g., likely in utero, combined in utero and postnatal, or postnatal). Schizophrenia disorders were ascertained (1950–2014) from the National Psychiatric Case Registry. Cox models were computed to compare the offspring groups with respect to the risk and the adverse course of schizophrenia, adjusting for confounders. Results The offspring rates on the risk and course of schizophrenia did not differ by parental affiliation to the direct and indirect exposure groups. Cox models showed that offspring subgroups with maternal Holocaust exposures in utero only (HR = 1.74, 1.13, 2.66) and combined in utero and postnatal (HR = 1.48, 1.05, 2.10); as well as paternal Holocaust exposures combined in utero and postnatal (HR = 1.48, 1.08, 2.05), and early postnatal (aged 1–2; HR = 1.49, 1.10, 2.00) had a significantly (P < 0.05) higher psychiatric re-hospitalization rate than the indirect group. Conclusions Transgenerational genocide exposure was unrelated to the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring, but was related to a course of deterioration during selected critical periods of early life.
KW - Epidemiology
KW - Epigenesis
KW - Genocide
KW - Schizophrenia
KW - Stress
KW - Transgenerational transmission
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84995593528&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2016.06.019
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2016.06.019
M3 - Article
C2 - 27401532
SN - 0920-9964
VL - 176
SP - 540
EP - 545
JO - Schizophrenia Research
JF - Schizophrenia Research
IS - 2-3
ER -
