The Web address of this article is
https://sfhelp.org/gwc/news/autism.htm
Updated
01-23-2015
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This Swedish research study illustrates a possible tie between parental
"mental illness" and
autism in kids. This suggests that parents' psychological
wounds may harm the next generations,which is the central premise of this nonprofit Web site.
See my comments after the article for more perspective. The links and hilights below
are mine. - Peter Gerlach, MSW
+ + +
In another sign pointing to an
inherited component to autism, a study released on Monday found that
having
a schizophrenic parent or a mother with psychiatric problems roughly doubled
a child's risk of being autistic.
"Our research shows that
mothers and fathers diagnosed with schizophrenia
were about twice as likely to have a child diagnosed with autism," said
Julie Daniels of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who worked
on the study.
"We also saw higher rates of depression and personality disorders among
mothers, but not fathers," she said in a statement.
The study of families in Sweden with children born between 1977 and 2003
involved 1,227 children diagnosed with autism. They were compared with
families of nearly 31,000 children who did not have autism. Sweden's
detailed health registry provides a wealth of data for such studies.
Autism, which is marked by impaired social interaction and communication, or
a related disorder like Asperger's syndrome, affects an estimated one out of
every 150 U.S. children, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
estimates. Asperger's is marked by mild social awkwardness.
No one knows what causes autism,
but researchers think it is likely that several genes and possibly
environmental factors contribute. Some autism
advocates believe childhood vaccinations play a role, although most medical
experts say it is extremely unlikely.
Which genes lie behind various mental illnesses are also poorly understood,
according to the researchers, whose study appeared in the journal Pediatrics, published by the
American Academy of Pediatrics.
"Earlier studies have shown
a higher rate of psychiatric disorders in
families of autistic children than in the general population," Daniels said.
The association between a child's autism and mental illness in the parent
was strongest with schizophrenia, and was less powerful when the mother
suffered from depression or personality disorders. There was little
association between autism and parental addiction to alcohol or drugs or
some other types of mental illness.
It was not clear if it was significant that having a mother, but not a
father, with certain mental illnesses, raised the risk of autism.
"Establishing an association between autism and other psychiatric disorders
might enable future investigators to better focus on genetic and
environmental factors that might be shared among these disorders," Daniels
said.
This mass-media research summary supports a main premise in this Web
site - that nonorganic psychological "disorders" are
unintentionally
passed down
the generations. After
36 years'
clinical research, I propose that most (or all?) such "disorders" are based
on up to six specific psychological
wounds
+ parental and social
unawareness.
This brief summary promotes the outdated, misleading
terms "mental illness" and "psychiatric illness." which come form
the century-old "medical model" of psychological disorders. This
model - proposed by doctors - is slowly being superseded by new
non-medical paradigms including
family-systems concepts.
This brief YouTube video explains my opinion:
This
research summary states "No one knows what
causes schizophrenia." - i.e. there is no current consensus as to
whether that abnormal condition has organic or psychological roots,
or both.
The report suggests a causative link
between childhood autism and parental schizophrenia and/or "mental
illness" - specially with troubled mothers. If schizophrenia is
promoted by psychological disorders,
that suggests autistic
behavior and Asperger's Syndrome are at least partly caused by
significant caregiver wounds and unawareness.
This
Web-wide report also promotes the
misconception that drug dependence and addiction is a "mental
illness." Any toxic compulsion is not an "illness" - it is an unconscious attempt to mute and
distract from major inner pain: shame + guilt + hurt + sadness +
confusion + despair. These result from early-childhood and
situational trauma.
Overall, this study adds urgency to people recognizing the social
need for responsible child-conception and
effective parenting. Lessons
1-6
in this free educational Web site propose how to do that.
For more perspective, see
these other
research summaries related to inherited
psychological wounds and their effects..
The Web address of this article is
https://sfhelp.org/gwc/news/autism.htm
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