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School success in childhood and subsequent prodromal symptoms and psychoses in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 April 2019

M. Lassila ,
T. Nordström ,
T. Hurtig ,
P. Mäki ,
E. Jääskeläinen ,
E. Oinas  and
J. Miettunen
M. Lassila*
Affiliation:
Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
T. Nordström
Affiliation:
Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
T. Hurtig
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland PEDEGO Research Unit, Child Psychiatry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Clinic of Child Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
P. Mäki
Affiliation:
Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Department of Psychiatry, Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland Department of Psychiatry, Länsi-Pohja healthcare district Department of Psychiatry, The Middle Ostrobothnia Central Hospital, Soite; Mental Health Services, Joint Municipal Authority of Wellbeing in Raahe District; Mental Health Services and Basic Health Care District of Kallio, Finland Department of Psychiatry, Kainuu Central Hospital, Kainuu Social and Healthcare District, Finland
E. Jääskeläinen
Affiliation:
Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
E. Oinas
Affiliation:
Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
J. Miettunen
Affiliation:
Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
*
Author for correspondence: M. Lassila, E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background

Low IQ is a risk factor for psychosis, but the effect of high IQ is more controversial. The aim was to explore the association of childhood school success with prodromal symptoms in adolescence and psychoses in adulthood.

Methods

In the general population-based Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (n = 8 229), we studied the relationship between teacher-assessed learning deficits, special talents and general school success at age 8 years and both prodromal symptoms (PROD-screen) at age 15–16 years and the occurrence of psychoses by age 30 years.

Results

More prodromal symptoms were experienced by those talented in oral presentation [boys: adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.49; 95% confidence interval 1.14–1.96; girls: 1.23; 1.00–1.52] or drawing (boys: 1.44; 1.10–1.87). Conversely, being talented in athletics decreased the probability of psychotic-like symptoms (boys: OR 0.72; 0.58–0.90). School success below average predicted less prodromal symptoms with boys (OR 0.68; 0.48–0.97), whereas above-average success predicted more prodromal symptoms with girls (OR 1.22; 1.03–1.44). The occurrence of psychoses was not affected. Learning deficits did not associate with prodromal symptoms or psychoses.

Conclusions

Learning deficits in childhood did not increase the risk of prodromal symptoms in adolescence or later psychosis in this large birth cohort. Learning deficits are not always associated with increased risk of psychosis, which might be due to, e.g. special support given in schools. The higher prevalence of prodromal symptoms in talented children may reflect a different kind of relationship of school success with prodromal symptoms compared to full psychoses.

Keywords

Adolescentschildrencreativitylearning deficitspsychosisschool
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 50 , Issue 6 , April 2020 , pp. 948 - 955
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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