title: Early origins of mental disorder - risk factors in the perinatal and infant period.
abstract: There is increasing understanding of the significance of early neurodevelopment in establishing risk for the range of mental disorders. Models of the early aetiology of mental disorders are complex with a range of potential factors from genetic and epigenetic to environmental influencing neurological and psychological development. Whilst the mechanisms are not fully understood, this paper provides an overview of potential biological and neurobiological factors that might be involved.
  
  
  
  An aetiological model is presented and discussed. The discussion includes a range of risk factors for mental disorder. Maternal anxiety disorder is presented and reviewed as an example of the interaction of placental, epigenetic and early parenting factors elevating risk of poor neonatal outcome.
  
  
  
  Available evidence points to the importance of in-utero influences as well as the role of early attachment and emotional care. Transgenerational mechanisms such as the impact of maternal mental disorder on foetal development are important models for examination of early risk. Maternal anxiety, as an example, is a significant risk factor for compromised mental health.
  
  
  
  Development of models for understanding the early origins of mental disorder is an important step in elaborating risk reduction strategies. Comprehensive early identification of risk raises the possibility of preventive interventions.
authors.affiliation: The Centre For Women's Mental Health, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, 3015, Australia.|Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.affiliation: The Centre For Women's Mental Health, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, 3015, Australia.|Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Judd
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Centre for Social & Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia.|Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Castle
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Department of General Practice, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Chad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bousman
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Pregnancy Research Centre, The Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Penelope
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sheehan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|NorthWest Mental Health, Melbourne Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Centre for Neural Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pantelis
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.affiliation: The Centre For Women's Mental Health, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, 3015, Australia. angelaak@unimelb.edu.au.|Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. angelaak@unimelb.edu.au.|Department of Psychiatry, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, L1 North, Main Block, Parkville, VIC, 3050, Australia. angelaak@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5567-2443
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komiti
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|NorthWest Mental Health, Melbourne Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Centre for Neural Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Everall
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D000068097:Maternal Health; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Attachment; Babyhood; Neurobiology; Pregnancy; Social and emotional development