Short duration of marriage at conception as an independent risk factor for schizophrenia

A sister's search for the seeds of psychosis

Dr. Dolores Malaspina sought a better way to understand the origins of psychosis than a schizophrenogenic mother, as her family had been informed upon her sisters illness. She moved her attention from environmental biology and zoology, to medical science and assembled knowledge on the multilevel components purported to underpin severe mental illness. Her studies cross levels to consider connections among exposures and genetic etiologies, intrinsic homeostatic mechanisms, stimuli perception and clinical illness features. Original contributions include associating later paternal age with increasing risk for schizophrenia in offspring and proposing that de novo mutations with shorter cell cycles explained the association, showing increased resting hippocampal blood flow in psychosis and that it was associated with inflammation, and that autonomic nervous system dysfunction was related to hippocampal inflammation, plausibly reflecting vascular abnormalities. She has been a professor of psychiatry in medical schools at Columbia University, New York University and at Mount Sinai in New York, USA.

Reprint of: Advanced paternal age and risk of schizophrenia in offspring - Review of epidemiological findings and potential mechanisms

A large number of studies have examined the association between advanced paternal age (APA) and risk of schizophrenia in offspring. Here we present an overview of epidemiological studies on this subject published since 2000, and systematically summarize their methodologies and results. Next, we discuss evidence to elucidate the potential mechanisms contributing to the association between APA and offspring schizophrenia, considering paternal psychiatric morbidity and genetic liability, maternal factors, and findings from family design studies. We propose that multiple mechanisms, including causal and non-causal pathways, contribute to the observed relationship between APA and schizophrenia in offspring, and conclude by highlighting the need for multi-disciplinary studies in disentangling these complex, non-mutually exclusive mechanisms.

Young Single Widow, Dynamics of In-Laws Interference and Coping Mechanisms: Simplicity-Parsimony Approach

The incidence of short marital duration due to the demise of a husband that often exposes young widows to in-laws' exploitation of the asset of the deceased spouses, without regard for negative health consequences and potential vulnerability to poverty has not been exhaustively investigated, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where 16% of adult women are widows. The study examined the coping mechanisms among the young widow (aged ≤ 40) who have experienced short conjugal relationships (≤5 years) and burdensome from in-laws. The research design followed a qualitative approach with the aid of semi-structured in-depth interviews among 13 young widows selected through snowballing and informant-led approaches in the purposively selected communities. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and a thematic approach. The findings, among others, shows the median age of young widow as 29 years. All participants, except one, have faced exploitation from their in-laws over their husbands' assets. All the participants desired to re-marry in order to: have a father figure for their children, have their own children or have more children. There is an absence of government support, but a few have received support from religious organisations. The author proposed attitudinal-change campaigns targeting the in-laws through accessible media and legislature that could challenge the exploitation of widows and unhealthy widowhood rites.

Psychiatric hospitalization in Korea, 2011-2020: the impact of the Mental Health Act revision of 2017 in consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE

This study was performed to examine the changes in psychiatric hospitalization in Korea after the mental health law revision of 2017 with consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

The data were obtained from National Health Insurance and Medical Aid statistical yearbooks of 2011-2020. The changes in the inpatient and outpatient utilization for schizophrenia from 2011 to 2020 were compared with those for other psychiatric disorders and the general population. With difference-in-differences analysis, the changes in utilization of inpatient and outpatient care for schizophrenia after the law revision of 2017 were analyzed with two comparison groups.

RESULTS

While the number of inpatients and inpatient days for schizophrenia decreased between 2017 and 2019, the number of outpatients and outpatient visits for schizophrenia increased during the period. Inpatient care utilization in two comparison groups increased during the same period. Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 led to a general decrease in health care use among the population including inpatient care for schizophrenia, the number of outpatients for schizophrenia increased slightly after the pandemic. Difference-in-differences analysis showed that the law revision was associated with the decrease in the use of inpatient care for schizophrenia after adjustment for the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

The mental health law revision in Korea led to a significant decrease in hospitalization for schizophrenia. However, the limited effect of revision on the Medical Aid beneficiaries suggests that the revision was not followed by the provision of the proper alternatives which can replace hospitalization of the most vulnerable population.

Advanced paternal age and risk of schizophrenia in offspring - Review of epidemiological findings and potential mechanisms

A large number of studies have examined the association between advanced paternal age (APA) and risk of schizophrenia in offspring. Here we present an overview of epidemiological studies on this subject published since 2000, and systematically summarize their methodologies and results. Next, we discuss evidence to elucidate the potential mechanisms contributing to the association between APA and offspring schizophrenia, considering paternal psychiatric morbidity and genetic liability, maternal factors, and findings from family design studies. We propose that multiple mechanisms, including causal and non-causal pathways, contribute to the observed relationship between APA and schizophrenia in offspring, and conclude by highlighting the need for multi-disciplinary studies in disentangling these complex, non-mutually exclusive mechanisms.