title: Association between stressful life events and psychotic experiences in adolescence: evidence for gene-environment correlations.
abstract: Stressful life events (SLEs) are associated with psychotic experiences. SLEs might act as an environmental risk factor, but may also share a genetic propensity with psychotic experiences.
  
  
  
  To estimate the extent to which genetic and environmental factors influence the relationship between SLEs and psychotic experiences.
  
  
  
  Self- and parent reports from a community-based twin sample (4830 16-year-old pairs) were analysed using structural equation model fitting.
  
  
  
  SLEs correlated with positive psychotic experiences (r = 0.12-0.14, all P<0.001). Modest heritability was shown for psychotic experiences (25-57%) and dependent SLEs (32%). Genetic influences explained the majority of the modest covariation between dependent SLEs and paranoia and cognitive disorganisation (bivariate heritabilities 74-86%). The relationship between SLEs and hallucinations and grandiosity was explained by both genetic and common environmental effects.
  
  
  
  Further to dependent SLEs being an environmental risk factor, individuals may have an underlying genetic propensity increasing their risk of dependent SLEs and positive psychotic experiences.
authors.affiliation: Sania Shakoor, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London; Helena M. S. Zavos, PhD, King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Claire M. A. Haworth, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry;, Phillip McGuire, PhD, MD, FRCPsych, King's College London, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Alastair G. Cardno, PhD, MMedSc, FRCPsych, MBChB, Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds; Daniel Freeman, PhD, DClinPsy, CPsychol, FBPsS, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford; Angelica Ronald, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK sania.shakoor@googlemail.com.
authors.forename: Sania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shakoor
authors.affiliation: Sania Shakoor, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London; Helena M. S. Zavos, PhD, King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Claire M. A. Haworth, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry;, Phillip McGuire, PhD, MD, FRCPsych, King's College London, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Alastair G. Cardno, PhD, MMedSc, FRCPsych, MBChB, Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds; Daniel Freeman, PhD, DClinPsy, CPsychol, FBPsS, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford; Angelica Ronald, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Helena M S
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zavos
authors.affiliation: Sania Shakoor, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London; Helena M. S. Zavos, PhD, King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Claire M. A. Haworth, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry;, Phillip McGuire, PhD, MD, FRCPsych, King's College London, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Alastair G. Cardno, PhD, MMedSc, FRCPsych, MBChB, Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds; Daniel Freeman, PhD, DClinPsy, CPsychol, FBPsS, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford; Angelica Ronald, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Claire M A
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Haworth
authors.affiliation: Sania Shakoor, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London; Helena M. S. Zavos, PhD, King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Claire M. A. Haworth, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry;, Phillip McGuire, PhD, MD, FRCPsych, King's College London, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Alastair G. Cardno, PhD, MMedSc, FRCPsych, MBChB, Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds; Daniel Freeman, PhD, DClinPsy, CPsychol, FBPsS, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford; Angelica Ronald, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.affiliation: Sania Shakoor, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London; Helena M. S. Zavos, PhD, King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Claire M. A. Haworth, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry;, Phillip McGuire, PhD, MD, FRCPsych, King's College London, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Alastair G. Cardno, PhD, MMedSc, FRCPsych, MBChB, Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds; Daniel Freeman, PhD, DClinPsy, CPsychol, FBPsS, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford; Angelica Ronald, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Alastair G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Cardno
authors.affiliation: Sania Shakoor, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London; Helena M. S. Zavos, PhD, King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Claire M. A. Haworth, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry;, Phillip McGuire, PhD, MD, FRCPsych, King's College London, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Alastair G. Cardno, PhD, MMedSc, FRCPsych, MBChB, Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds; Daniel Freeman, PhD, DClinPsy, CPsychol, FBPsS, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford; Angelica Ronald, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.affiliation: Sania Shakoor, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London; Helena M. S. Zavos, PhD, King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Claire M. A. Haworth, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry;, Phillip McGuire, PhD, MD, FRCPsych, King's College London, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London; Alastair G. Cardno, PhD, MMedSc, FRCPsych, MBChB, Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds; Daniel Freeman, PhD, DClinPsy, CPsychol, FBPsS, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford; Angelica Ronald, PhD, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ronald
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology