Late-Onset Schizophrenia in Child Survivors of the Holocaust

Abstract

According to the stress diathesis model, the probability of psychosis is increased in high-risk groups, a vulnerable one being the Holocaust child survivors. This study was conducted to inquire into the long-term effects of their Holocaust experience. We concentrated on a possible association between the onset of schizophrenia and the degree of persecution. Ninety-three medical files of Holocaust child survivors were recruited from sociomedical expert reports of the Restitution Office in Germany. The onset of schizophrenia was used as dependent variable in a categorical regression model. Regarding schizophrenia, exclusively late-onset schizophrenia could be diagnosed in our sample. Schizophrenia was significantly associated with the highest category of persecution (Fisher exact test, p < 0.001). In the categorical regression model, the category of persecution was a significant coefficient, only (F = 23.9, p < 0.001). The strong association between late onset of schizophrenia and the degree of persecution suggest an influence of stress exposure.

Risk factors for the late‐onset psychoses: a systematic review of cohort studies

“…There was evidence to support the impact of negative life events on the development of psychotic symptoms, especially those studies with a higher number of events (Wiles et al , ) and a more severe intensity (Reulbach et al , ).…”

“…The 11 included studies, summarized in Table , involved over 1,701,174 subjects at baseline and more than 1,689,670 at follow‐up. Sample sizes ranged from 93 (Reulbach et al , ) to 1,631,442 (Kirkbride et al , ) participants, with mean a proportion of females at study entry varying between 44.6% (Henderson et al , ) and 77.3% (Forsell, ). Many cohorts included people of all ages.…”

“…The two variables most frequently studied, increasing age and female gender, were reported in nine studies each, univariate and multivariate analyses taken together. Looking at both univariate and multivariate analyses, six predictors were reported only once: childlessness (Forsell, ), pre/peri/post‐natal events (Reulbach et al , ), urban birth (Marcelis et al , ), lower IQ (Wiles et al , ), psychiatric problems — unspecified (Wiles et al , ), and positive psychiatric family history (Köhler, ). Significant risk factors are described below, based on risk factors identified in at least 60% of two or more studies, on multivariate analysis.…”

Persecution-Induced Reduction in Earning Capacity of Holocaust Victims: Influence of Psychiatric and Somatic Aspects

“…The complexity of long-term sequelae experienced by Holocaust victims has been described in numerous articles worldwide [1,2,3,4]. The mental, somatic, and psychosocial development of traumatized Holocaust victims has been assessed for many decades in long-term catamneses [2,4,5].…”

“…The mental, somatic, and psychosocial development of traumatized Holocaust victims has been assessed for many decades in long-term catamneses [2,4,5]. Medical specialists were called in by the Office for Compensation in Germany (Amt für Wiedergutmachung, Trier, Germany) to examine the aspect of compensation by payment to the victims of the Holocaust.…”