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Reproductive fitness and genetic risk of psychiatric disorders in the general population

Author

Listed:
  • Niamh Mullins

    (deCODE genetics
    MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London)

  • Andrés Ingason

    (deCODE genetics)

  • Heather Porter

    (deCODE genetics
    MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London)

  • Jack Euesden

    (deCODE genetics
    MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London
    Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Oakfield House, University of Bristol)

  • Alexandra Gillett

    (deCODE genetics
    MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London)

  • Sigurgeir Ólafsson

    (deCODE genetics
    Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland)

  • Daniel F. Gudbjartsson

    (deCODE genetics)

  • Cathryn M. Lewis

    (deCODE genetics
    MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London
    King’s College London)

  • Engilbert Sigurdsson

    (Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland
    Landspitali University Hospital)

  • Evald Saemundsen

    (The State Diagnostic and Counselling Centre)

  • Ólafur Ó Gudmundsson

    (deCODE genetics)

  • Michael L. Frigge

    (deCODE genetics)

  • Augustine Kong

    (deCODE genetics)

  • Agnar Helgason

    (deCODE genetics
    University of Iceland)

  • G. Bragi Walters

    (deCODE genetics
    Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland)

  • Omar Gustafsson

    (deCODE genetics)

  • Hreinn Stefansson

    (deCODE genetics)

  • Kari Stefansson

    (deCODE genetics
    Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland)

Abstract

The persistence of common, heritable psychiatric disorders that reduce reproductive fitness is an evolutionary paradox. Here, we investigate the selection pressures on sequence variants that predispose to schizophrenia, autism, bipolar disorder, major depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using genomic data from 150,656 Icelanders, excluding those diagnosed with these psychiatric diseases. Polygenic risk of autism and ADHD is associated with number of children. Higher polygenic risk of autism is associated with fewer children and older age at first child whereas higher polygenic risk of ADHD is associated with having more children. We find no evidence for a selective advantage of a high polygenic risk of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Rare copy-number variants conferring moderate to high risk of psychiatric illness are associated with having fewer children and are under stronger negative selection pressure than common sequence variants.

Suggested Citation

  • Niamh Mullins & Andrés Ingason & Heather Porter & Jack Euesden & Alexandra Gillett & Sigurgeir Ólafsson & Daniel F. Gudbjartsson & Cathryn M. Lewis & Engilbert Sigurdsson & Evald Saemundsen & Ólafur Ó, 2017. "Reproductive fitness and genetic risk of psychiatric disorders in the general population," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-6, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15833
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15833
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