Childhood Neuropsychiatric Risk

Abstract

(from the chapter) Neuropsychiatric disorders affecting children, such as attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, and autism are considered familial with estimated heritability rates of 75, 78, 84, and 93%, respectively (Tsuang, Glatt, & Faraone, 2006), suggesting that genes confer the major risk susceptibility. Identifying the underlying genes, however, is proving challenging. In part this is due to the heterogeneous clinical presentation of these disorders that complicate phenotype ascertainment, as well as the complex genetic underpinnings, which may explain why these disorders were not accessible by traditional genetic methods. In this chapter we will review the literature on several neuropsychiatric disorders with special emphasis on disorders primarily occurring during childhood and their potential impact on individuals and families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved)