Psychopathology, personality traits and social development of young first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND
Evaluation of individuals at high genetic risk of schizophrenia is a powerful method for identifying precursors of the illness.


OBJECTIVE
To identify aspects of personality, psychopathology and social development that differentiate high-risk and control individuals.


METHODS
Adolescent and young-adult first-degree relatives (n=35) of people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and a control group (n=55) were compared on 36 measures at baseline of a longitudinal study. Measures differentiating high-risk and control participants were related to four genetic loading indices.


RESULTS
High-risk participants older than 17 years showed more physical anhedonia, less positive involvement with peers and more problems with peers, siblings and the opposite gender. Older high-risk individuals also were less cooperative, less self-directed and less reward-dependent. Problems with peers and the opposite gender, as well as reward dependence, were related linearly to genetic loading.


CONCLUSIONS
Alterations in personality traits and social development are present in high-risk individuals, and may be markers for genetic liability toward the illness.
Glatt
Stephen J
SJ
Center for Behavioral Genomics, Department of Psychiatry, University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 920923, USA. sglatt@ucsd.edu
Stone
William S
WS
Faraone
Stephen V
SV
Seidman
Larry J
LJ
Tsuang
Ming T
MT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics*