Publications (102) View all
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Article: Child maltreatment and adolescent mental health problems in a large birth cohort.
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ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: To examine whether notified child maltreatment is associated with adverse psychological outcomes in adolescence, and whether differing patterns of psychological outcome are seen depending on the type of maltreatment. METHODS: The participants were 7,223 mother and child pairs enrolled in a population-based birth cohort study in Brisbane, Australia. Exposure to suspected child maltreatment was measured by linkage with state child protection agency data. The primary outcomes were the internalizing and externalizing scales of the Youth Self Report (YSR) at approximately 14 years of age. RESULTS: The YSR was completed by 5,172 subjects (71.6%), with increased attrition of cases of notified maltreatment. After adjustment for potential confounders, notified maltreatment was significantly associated with both internalizing behavior and externalizing behavior at 14. When evaluated as non-exclusive categories of maltreatment, physical abuse, neglect, and emotional abuse were each significantly associated with both internalizing and externalizing behavior after adjustment. When evaluated using an expanded hierarchical scheme that included combinations of multi-type maltreatment, the following groups had significantly higher internalizing behavior after adjustment: emotional abuse (with or without neglect), and multi-type maltreatment including physical (but not sexual) abuse with neglect and/or emotional abuse. The following groups were associated with externalizing behavior after adjustment: emotional abuse (with or without neglect), and multi-type maltreatment including physical abuse (with neglect and/or emotional abuse), or sexual abuse (with neglect and/or emotional abuse, and/or physical abuse). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that child neglect and emotional abuse have serious adverse effects on adolescent mental health and warrant the attention given to other forms of child maltreatment. Additionally, it confirms that young people who are notified for more than one type of maltreatment are at particular risk of adolescent mental health problems.Child abuse & neglect 02/2013; · 2.34 Impact Factor -
Article: Seventy-five genetic loci influencing the human red blood cell.
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ABSTRACT: Anaemia is a chief determinant of global ill health, contributing to cognitive impairment, growth retardation and impaired physical capacity. To understand further the genetic factors influencing red blood cells, we carried out a genome-wide association study of haemoglobin concentration and related parameters in up to 135,367 individuals. Here we identify 75 independent genetic loci associated with one or more red blood cell phenotypes at P < 10(-8), which together explain 4-9% of the phenotypic variance per trait. Using expression quantitative trait loci and bioinformatic strategies, we identify 121 candidate genes enriched in functions relevant to red blood cell biology. The candidate genes are expressed preferentially in red blood cell precursors, and 43 have haematopoietic phenotypes in Mus musculus or Drosophila melanogaster. Through open-chromatin and coding-variant analyses we identify potential causal genetic variants at 41 loci. Our findings provide extensive new insights into genetic mechanisms and biological pathways controlling red blood cell formation and function.Nature 12/2012; · 36.28 Impact Factor -
Article: Modifiable risk factors for schizophrenia and autism - shared risk factors impacting on brain development.
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ABSTRACT: Schizophrenia and autism are two poorly understood clinical syndromes that differ in age of onset and clinical profile. However, recent genetic and epidemiological research suggests that these two neurodevelopmental disorders share certain risk factors. The aims of this review are to describe modifiable risk factors that have been identified in both disorders, and, where available, collate salient systematic reviews and meta-analyses that have examined shared risk factors. Based on searches of Medline, Embase and Psychoinfo, inspection of review articles and expert opinion, we first compiled a set of candidate modifiable risk factors associated with autism. Where available, we next collated systematic-reviews (with or without meta-analyses) related to modifiable risk factors associated with both autism and schizophrenia. We identified three modifiable risk factors that have been examined in systematic reviews for both autism and schizophrenia. Advanced paternal age was reported as a risk factor for schizophrenia in a single meta-analysis and as a risk factor in two meta-analyses for autism With respect to pregnancy and birth complications, for autism one meta-analysis identified maternal diabetes and bleeding during pregnancy as risks factors for autism whilst a meta-analysis of eight studies identified obstetric complications as a risk factor for schizophrenia . Migrant status was identified as a risk factor for both autism and schizophrenia. Two separate meta-analyses were identified for each disorder. Despite distinct clinical phenotypes, the evidence suggests that at least some non-genetic risk factors are shared between these two syndromes. In particular, exposure to drugs, nutritional excesses or deficiencies and infectious agents lend themselves public health interventions. Studies are now needed to quantify any increase in risk of either autism or schizophrenia that is associated with these modifiable environmental factors.Neurobiology of Disease 11/2012; · 5.40 Impact Factor -
Article: The association between lower birth weight and comorbid generalised anxiety and major depressive disorder.
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ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: Studies testing the association between birth weight and depression or anxiety have found inconsistent results and there has been a lack of research on the possible relationship between birth weight and comorbid anxiety and depression. We tested for an association between lower birth weight and major depression, generalised anxiety and comorbid generalised anxiety and major depression. METHOD: Data was taken from 2113 mothers and their offspring participating in the Mater University Study of Pregnancy (MUSP) birth cohort. Generalised anxiety, major depression and comorbid generalised anxiety and major depression at 21 years were tested for associations with birth weight using multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: Lower birth weight was found to predict comorbid generalised anxiety and major depression, but did not predict either generalised anxiety or major depression. LIMITATIONS: We were unable to specify comorbidity by the primary disorder, or by the severity or recurrence of the depression. CONCLUSION: Previous associations found between birth weight and mental health may reflect a specific link between lower birth weight and comorbid generalised anxiety and major depressive disorders. As neither disorder individually was associated with lower birth weight, this may suggest that this developmental origin represents a unique risk pathway to comorbidity not shared with either discrete disorder.Journal of affective disorders 10/2012; · 3.76 Impact Factor -
Article: Continuity and discontinuity of trouble sleeping behaviors from early childhood to young adulthood in a large Australian community-based-birth cohort study.
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ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: To examine the continuity and discontinuity of trouble sleeping behaviors (TSB) from childhood to adolescence and young adulthood in a community-based prospective birth cohort study. METHODS: The original study comprised 7223 mother-offspring pairs who were followed prospectively at pregnancy, 6months, 5, 14 and 21years post-delivery. Participant numbers differ by follow-up stages. There were 3184 offspring for whom we have consistently collected information on TSB retrospectively at 2-4years, and prospectively at 14 and 21years of age. RESULTS: These comprised maternal-reported offspring TSB at 2-4years and 14years, and offspring-reported trouble sleeping at 14 and 21years. One in two children had persistent trouble sleeping from 2-4 to 14years and two-thirds from 14 to 21years. In the adjusted analysis, compared with 2-4-years-old children with no trouble sleeping, those who experienced trouble sleeping were 1.20 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.44) times more likely to have trouble sleeping at 21years. Similarly, adolescents who experienced trouble sleeping were 1.94 (95% CI: 1.66, 2.27) times more likely to experience trouble sleeping at 21years. CONCLUSIONS: There is a continuity of TSB from early childhood through adolescence and young adulthood, although the persistence of TSB is strongest from adolescence to young adulthood. Interventions improving sleep in young children may prevent longer term difficulties in adolescents and young adults.Sleep Medicine 09/2012; · 3.40 Impact Factor
