Does consanguinity increase the risk of mental ilnesses? A population-based study

ABSTRACT

Over the past few years, there have been many encouraging advances identifying genetic risk factors in mental illnesses. Psychiatric disorders have been recognised as carrying the biggest burden of disease worldwide. This is reflected in the State of Qatar where two of the top three burdens of disease are mental disorders. We set out to study the burden of commonest psychiatric disorders among consanguineous marriages at Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) using the World Health Organisation Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WHO-CIDI) and examine their symptom patterns and co-morbidity in Qatar. A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out over one year between November 2011 and October 2012. A total of 2000 Qatari subjects aged 18 to 65 years were approached; 1475 (73.3%) gave consent and participated in this study. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders using the WHO-CIDI, version 3.0, showed that six most common disorders were major depression disorders (18.3%), any impulse control condition (18.3%), any anxiety disorders (17.2%), any mood disorders (16.9%), followed by separation anxiety disorders (15.2%), and personality disorder (14.1%). The mean age ± SD of the 1475 subjects interviewed was 39.3 ± 9.8 years. The rate of consanguinity in the present generation was 31.5% (95%CI = 29.1–33.7). There were statistically significant differences between consanguineous and non-consanguineous with regards to age, educational status, occupation status and household income, as well as body mass index, cigarette smoking and sheesha (water pipe) smoking. Statistically significant differences were also found related to lifestyle habits between consanguineous and non-consanguineous marriages. One-fifth of all adults who attended the PHC Centre 20% had at least one psychiatric diagnosis. The prevalence of generalized anxiety disorders – social phobia, specific phobia, major depression and personality disorders – was significantly higher in consanguineous marriages than in non-consanguineous marrages. Thus any prevalence should be measured according to consanguineous marriages.

KEYWORDS:

• Prevalence
• mental disorders
• size and burden disorders
• PHC visits
• consanguinity
• morbidity – chronic condition
• BMI
• smoking
• Qatar

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Hamad Medical Corporation for their support and ethical approval.

Disclosure statement

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Notes on contributors

Abdulbari Bener is Professor of Public Health at the Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University. He was Professor of Public Health in the Department of Public Health at the Weill Cornell Medical College Asst. Medical Director and Head of the Medical Statistics & Epidemiology Department at Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar, during August 2002–July 2014. In addition, he is also advisor to World Health Organization and Adjunct Professor & Coordinator for the postgraduate and master public health programs (MPH) of the School of Epidemiology and Health Sciences, University of Manchester. He has been the author or co-author of more than 550 published journal articles. He is acting as the  Editor, Associate Editor, Advisor Editor and Asst. Editor for over 20 journals and referee for over 60 journals.

Mohammed T. Abou-Saleh is Professor of Psychiatry, St George’s, University of London. Director of Research and Development and Clinical Director of Addiction Services for South West London and St George’s Mental Health Trust; Chairman of the World Psychiatric Association Section on Biological Psychiatry Consultant for the World Health Organization; Vice-President for the Constituency Development of the World Federation for Mental Health.

Ramzi M. Mohammad Currently is holding a position as Director of Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar. Dr Mohammad’s research is translational in nature and works closely with clinicians. Previously worked as a Director GI Research Wayne State University, Karmanos Cancer Institute. He serves as an advisor to the NIH in the USA.

Dr Elnour E. Dafeeah Sr. Clinical Psychologist & psychotherapist consultant at Hamad Medical Corporation – Hamad Medical Corporation, Dept. of Psychiatry, Rumeilah Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar.

Dr Antonio Ventriglio’s research areas are Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Clinic, and he served at the Mc Lean Hospital Harvard University, Belmont, MA, USA. His currently areas of interest are Social Psychiatry, Psychopharmacology, Medicine and Psychiatry. He holds position at the Department of Mental Health, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.

Dinesh Bhugra, CBE, is Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London. He is also an Honorary Consultant at the Maudsley Hospital. His research interests are in cultural psychiatry, sexual dysfunction and service development. He has authored/co-authored over 350 scientific papers, chapters and 30 books. He is the Editor of the International Journal of Social Psychiatry, International Review of Psychiatry and International Journal of Culture and Mental Health. From 2008 to 2011 Professor Bhugra was the President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He is currently the Chair of the Mental Health Foundation and President-Elect of the World Psychiatric Association, London, UK.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Qatar Foundation [HMC RP # 11187/11 and HMC RP # 12061/12].