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RecurrentDepression

Social and cognitive functioning, urbanicity and risk for schizophrenia

David Mazoor, M.D.Published October 8, 20072 min read

Key points

  • Background Previous work suggests that the association between urbanicity and schizophrenia may be greatest in those with pre-existing vulnerability.
  • Method For 371 603 adolescent males examined by the Israeli Draft Board on social and cognitive functioning, data on population density of place of residence and later hospitalisation for schizophrenia were obtained from population-based registries.
  • Conclusions Risk of schizophrenia may increase when people with a genetic liability to the disorder, expressed as poor social and cognitive functioning, need to cope with city life.
  • Aims To test for synergism in risk of schizophrenia between population density and a combined exposure of poor premorbid social and cognitive functioning.

Background Previous work suggests that the association between urbanicity and schizophrenia may be greatest in those with pre-existing vulnerability.

Aims To test for synergism in risk of schizophrenia between population density and a combined exposure of poor premorbid social and cognitive functioning.

Method For 371 603 adolescent males examined by the Israeli Draft Board on social and cognitive functioning, data on population density of place of residence and later hospitalisation for schizophrenia were obtained from population-based registries.

Results There was an interaction between population density (five levels) and poor premorbid social and cognitive functioning (interaction {chi}2=4.6, P=0.032). The adjusted increase in cumulative incidence associated with one unitchange in population density was 0.10% in the vulnerable group (95% CI 0.019 -0.18, P=0.015), nine times larger than that in the non-vulnerable group (0.011%, 95% CI 0.0017 -0.020, P=0.021).

Conclusions Risk of schizophrenia may increase when people with a genetic liability to the disorder, expressed as poor social and cognitive functioning, need to cope with city life.

Full text


MARK WEISER, MD
Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, IDF, Division of Mental Health, and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel

JIM VAN OS
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands, and Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

ABRAHAM REICHENBERG, PhD
Department of Psychiatry, Mount-Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA

JONATHAN RABINOWITZ, PhD
Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

DANIELLA NAHON, MA
Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel

EFRAT KRAVITZ, BSc
Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel

GAD LUBIN, MD, MOTI SHMUSHKEVITZ, MD and HAIM Y. KNOBLER, MD
Division of Mental Health, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel

SHLOMO NOY, MD, PhD and MICHAEL DAVIDSON, MD
Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv, University, Ramat Aviv, Israel

Correspondence: Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel 52621. Email: mweiser@netvision.net.il

Revised and edited by

David Mazoor, M.D.

Medically reviewedLast reviewed

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