Study Links Malnourishment, Schizophrenia

A study of a famine in China more than 40 years ago found that children born to severely malnourished women are more likely to develop schizophrenia.

The research bolsters the evidence that environmental factors can trigger the devastating mental illness.

Compared with children born before or after the 1959-61 famine, those born during the disaster faced double the risk of becoming schizophrenic later on.

The results are nearly identical to a previous study of a famine in Holland resulting from a Nazi food blockade toward the end of World War II.

“Since the two populations are ethnically and culturally distinct, the processes involved may apply in all populations undergoing famine,” the authors said.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 3 Aug 2005
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