Environmental risk factors for psychopathology

Abstract

In the past all psychopathologies were viewed as caused by the environment. Later on case-control and family-based studies of major psychiatric disorders found genetic associations, but in many cases these findings did not survive replications. A gene-environment approach gave new hope for possible associations. Gene environment correlations emphasized that the relationship are bidirectional. However, recent meta-analyses raised doubts about the consistency of these findings as well. The review summarizes the current view on the environmental factors in the major psychopathologies.