Search for protective factors for psychosis - a population-based sample with special interest in unaffected individuals with parental psychosis.
To find factors that are associated with not having psychotic illness in a prospective general population sample, with a special interest in individuals with parental psychosis.



Data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (n = 10 458) and several registers were used to detect individuals with and without parental psychosis. Altogether, 594 persons had parent(s) with psychosis and 48 of them also had psychosis subsequently. Variables related to pregnancy and birth, family and childhood, health and habits in adolescence, school performance and physical activity were studied to identify determinants of unaffected status among individuals with and without parental psychosis.



In the parental psychosis group, the unaffected persons had more likely a mother who was non-depressed during pregnancy, and who worked outside the home or studied than among those who developed psychosis.



Protective factors for psychosis were surprisingly few in this sample. These factors were related to the mother's non-depressed mood and the mother's work outside the home or studies. This could relate to better health and functioning of a mother. This work highlights the need for more research on protective factors for psychosis in order to identify methods for prevention of psychosis.
Department of Psychiatry, Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Emmi
E
Keskinen
Department of Psychiatry, Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Riikka
R
Marttila
Institute of Clinical Medicine, Psychiatry, University of Eastern, Finland.|Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital (KUH), Kuopio, Finland.|Department of Psychiatry, Lapland Hospital District, Rovaniemi, Finland.|Department of Psychiatry, South-Savonia Hospital District, Mikkeli, Finland.|Department of Psychiatry, North Karelia Central Hospital, Joensuu, Finland.|Department of Psychiatry, SOSTERI, Savonlinna, Finland.|Department of Psychiatry, SOTE, Iisalmi, Finland.
Heli
H
Koivumaa-Honkanen
Department of Psychiatry, Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
Kristiina
K
Moilanen
Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Unit of Primary Health Care, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
Sirkka
S
Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi
Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Markku
M
Timonen
Department of Psychiatry, Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
Matti
M
Isohanni
Department of Psychiatry, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
John
J
McGrath
Department of Psychiatry, Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Jouko
J
Miettunen
Department of Psychiatry, Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Erika
E
Jääskeläinen
D000293:Adolescent; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D065840:Protective Factors; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D012042:Registries
birth cohort; parental psychosis; protective factor; psychosis; unaffected status