Main description:

An international team of leading researchers and clinicians here provide a comprehensive, epidemiological overview of this multi-faceted and still perplexing disorder, and address some of the key questions it raises. How important in the genetic contribution to schizophrenia? Do pregnancy and birth complications increase the risk for schizophrenia? Is the incidence of schizophrenia changing? Why is the rate higher among immigrants and in those born in cities? Controversial issues such as the validity of discrete or dimensional classifications of schizophrenia and the continuum between psychosis and 'normality' are explored in depth, and separate chapters are devoted to topics of particular relevance to schizophrenia such as suicide, violence and substance abuse. Finally, new prospects for treatment and prevention are considered. Drawing together the findings from social, genetic, developmental and classical epidemiology of schizophrenia, this text will prove an invaluable resource for clinicians and researchers.

Contents:

Foreword William Carpenter; Preface; Part I. The Social Epidemiology of Schizophrenia: Introduction; 1. Investigating socio-environmental influences in schizophrenia: conceptual and design issues Michaeline Bresnahan and Ezra Susser; 2. Geographical variation in incidence, course and outcome in schizophrenia: a comparison of developing and developed countries Michealine Bresnahan, Paulo Menezes, Vijoy Varma and Ezra Susser; 3. Temporal variation in the incidence, course and outcome of schizophrenia Michaeline Bresnahan, Jane Boydell, Robin Murray and Ezra Susser; 4. Urbanisation, migration and risk of schizophrenia Jane Boydell and Robin Murray; Part II. The Developmental Epidemiology of Schizophrenia: Introduction; 5. Prenatal and perinatal risk factors for schizophrenia Mary Cannon, Robert Kendell, Ezra Susser and Peter Jones; 6. Childhood development and later schizophrenia: evidence from genetic high risk and birth cohort studies Mary Cannon, C. Jane Tarrant, Matti O. Huttunen and Peter Jones; 7. Prodrome, onset and early course of schizophrenia Heinz Hafner; 8. The value of first-episode studies of schizophrenia Mary Clarke and Eadbhard O'Callaghan; 9. Schizophrenia at the extremes of life Kenneth G. D. Orr and David J. Castle; Part III. The Genetic Epidemiology of Schizophrenia: Introduction; 10. The 'classical' genetic epidemiology of schizophrenia Alastair Cardno and Robin Murray; 11. Molecular genetics and epidemiology in schizophrenia: a necessary partnership Stanley Zammit, Glyn Lewis and Michael J. Owen; 12. Gene-environment correlation and interaction in schizophrenia Jim van Os and Pak Sham; 13. Investigating gene-environment interaction in schizophrenia using neuroimaging Theo G. M. van Erp, Timothy L. Gasperoni, Isabelle M. Rosso and Tyrone D. Cannon; Part IV. Special Issues in the Epidemiology of Schizophrenia: Introduction; 14. Mortality and physical illness in schizophrenia Preben Bo Mortensen; 15. The clinical epidemiology of suicide in schizophrenia Hannele Heila and Jouko Loennqvist; 16. What is the relationship between substance abuse and schizophrenia? Robin Murray, Anton Grech, Peter Phillips and Sonia Johnson; 17. Criminal and violent behaviour in schizophrenia Elizabeth Walsh and Alec Buchanan; Part V. Future Directions and Emerging Issues: Introduction; 18. Diagnosis and classification of schizophrenia: categories vs dimensions, distributions vs disease Jim van Os and Helene Verdoux; 19. The implications of epidemiology for service planning in schizophrenia Graham Thornicroft and Michele Tansella; 20. Prevention of schizophrenia - not an impossible dream John McGrath; Glossary; Index.