The EUropean Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene–Environment Interactions (EU-GEI): Incidence and First-Episode Case–Control Programme
EU-GEI WP2 Group, Charlotte Gayer‐Anderson, Hannah E. Jongsma, Marta Di Forti, Diego Quattrone, Eva Velthorst, Lieuwe de Haan, Jean‐Paul Selten, Andreı̈ Szöke, Pierre‐Michel Llorca, Andrea Tortelli, Celso Arango, Julio Bobes, Miquel Bernardo, Julio Sanjuán, José Luis Santos, Manuel Arrojo, Mara Parellada, Ilaria Tarricone, Domenico Berardi, Mirella Ruggeri, Antonio Lasalvia, Laura Ferraro, Caterina La Cascia, Daniele La Barbera, Paulo Rossi Menezes, Cristina Marta Del‐Ben, Bart P. F. Rutten, Jim van Os, Peter B. Jones, Robin Murray, James B. Kirkbride, Craig Morgan
Abstract
PURPOSE: The EUropean Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) study contains an unparalleled wealth of comprehensive data that allows for testing hypotheses about (1) variations in incidence within and between countries, including by urbanicity and minority ethnic groups; and (2) the role of multiple environmental and genetic risk factors, and their interactions, in the development of psychotic disorders. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2015, we identified 2774 incident cases of psychotic disorders during 12.9 million person-years at risk, across 17 sites in 6 countries (UK, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, and Brazil). Of the 2774 incident cases, 1130 cases were assessed in detail and form the case sample for case-control analyses. Across all sites, 1497 controls were recruited and assessed. We collected data on an extensive range of exposures and outcomes, including demographic, clinical (e.g. premorbid adjustment), social (e.g. childhood and adult adversity, cannabis use, migration, discrimination), cognitive (e.g. IQ, facial affect processing, attributional biases), and biological (DNA via blood sample/cheek swab). We describe the methodology of the study and some descriptive results, including representativeness of the cohort. CONCLUSIONS: This resource constitutes the largest and most extensive incidence and case-control study of psychosis ever conducted.