Close relatives raise risk of schizophrenia eightfold

A meta-analysis has quantified the familial risk of schizophrenia for the first time
Mental health treatment

Patients who have a first­-degree relative with schizophrenia are eight times more likely to develop the disorder compared with those with no family history, a meta-analysis shows.

Researchers from the Prince of Wales Clinical School at UNSW Sydney say their findings will improve the accuracy of risk communication to patients and could even inform a ‘vulnerability index’.