Let's look specifically at Schizophrenia because it is among the most studied mental health disorders and many mental health issues share comorbidities. That is, if you are diagnosed with one "disorder" then there is a pretty good chance that at some point you will also be diagnosed with another disorder as symptoms evolve and manifest. So it is reasonable to assume that the "triggers" or environmental risk factors for Schizophrenia are likely to be risk factors for other mental illnesses.
Schizophrenia is also of interest because Nick Reiner was (reportedly) diagnosed with it. Schizophrenia is one of the "lifetime" diagnosis unlike Anxiety Disorder or Depression which can come-and-go.
It is currently believed that Schizophrenia is highly heritable and that the external "risk factors" that trigger it represent between 15%-and-40% of the aggregate risk. Some of those external risk factors* include (Link):
- In-Utero Trauma (bleeding, diabetes, rhesus incompatibility, preeclampsia, low birth-weight, oxygen deprivation, malnutrition, drug-use, other) Link
- Infections
- Migration
- Urban environments
- Childhood Trauma
- Cannabis use
Let's look at them one-at-a-time
In-Utero Trauma: I would rate this as slightly elevated compared to 20 and 40 years ago. From anecdotal evidence, recent immigrants are less likely to seek prenatal care and might not even be paying attention to their pg/non-pg status...risk factor slightly increased.
Infections: Specifically Toxoplasma gondii and Chlamydia. T. gondii is spread via untreated fecal material, primarily from cats. Chlamydia rates increased by 50% between 2000 and 2015...so this risk-factor increased.
Migration: Migration to the United States showed a very large increase in the 2021-to-2024 (inclusive) time-frame. Literature specifies 1st and 2nd generations being at increased risk....so this risk-factor increased.
Urban environments: My perceptions is that there is a small, net outward migration from highly urban environments. I will call this....risk factor slightly decreased.
Childhood Trauma: It has been observed that the most dangerous person in a young child's life is his mother's new boyfriend. Traditional families continue to shred....risk factor increased.
Cannabis Use: It has been decriminalized at the state level and legalized in many "Blue" states. Furthermore the level of THC in samples obtained "on the street" have increased by a factor of three between 2000 and 2019....risk factor increased.
Tallying up the count, five of the six environmental risk factors increased with three of them increasing substantially. One of the six risk factors shows a weak improvement.
Conclusion: Perceived increases in rates of severe mental illness is factual and not a figment of reporting or in increasingly aggressive diagnosis or more expansive definition of diagnostic criteria.
Note to readers: I will be busy today and expect to be back-in-the-saddle tomorrow. Responses to comments will be slow.
Bonus video
Hat-tip to Lucas Machias.
* Poor sleep-hygiene was mentioned as a risk-factor for Bipolar Disorder (aka, Manic-Depressive or Jekkyl-and-Hyde Disorder) but not in the paper referenced. Forty years ago broadcast TV shut-down after midnight and people didn't stay awake round-the-clock "gaming". Except for some convenience stores, nearly all businesses shut-down for maintenance or cleaning every night. That has been a major change during my lifetime.
Its funny to hear/see people extoll certain changes as virtues, while others decry them as problematic. Its not even a question of degree, but literal opposites.
ReplyDeleteI've worked nights, it screws with you. That our entire society should be this way ignores obvious issues, and yet, we continue marching along the path regardless.
I worked a "swing shift" for a while and that REALLY screws with you. Two, 12 hour shifts on days and then two, 12 hour shifts on nights then three days to reset your body-clock.
DeleteThank God Mrs ERJ was very supportive. I was not a very good father during that period.