Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-qsmjn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T22:05:25.477Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Did the Great Irish Famine increase schizophrenia?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Dermot Walsh
Dermot Walsh*
Affiliation:
Health Research Board, Knockmaun House, Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2
*
E-mail dwalsh@hrb.ie
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background: Evidence from regions where there have been severe dietary restriction suggests that individuals in utero during periods of starvation may subsequently be at increased risk of schizophrenia. Because Ireland was the location of a major nineteenth century famine an attempt has been made to determine whether any such evidence for famine/schizophrenia association can be found.

Method: The data used derive mainly from the Annual Reports on the District, Criminal and Private Lunatic Asylums supplied by the Inspectors of Lunacy in Ireland for the relevant years. Nineteenth century diagnostic labels have been adjusted to conform to schizophrenia as currently understood. Evidence relating to a possible schizophrenia increase in famine-related emigrants is examined.

Results: There was an increase in first admission rates for schizophrenia of 85.7% from 1860 to 1875. Admissions for other disorders, chiefly melancholia, also increased. Similar admission increases were evident in other jurisdictions over the same period. Data relating to the mental health of famine – migrating Irish are sparse and of difficult interpretation.

Conclusion: The evidence from available data sources attempting to link the Irish famines of the 1840s with a subsequent increase in the incidence of schizophrenia is equivocal and inconclusive.

Keywords

SchizophreniaFamine19th Century Ireland
Type
Original Paper
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 29 , Issue 1 , 2012 , pp. 7 - 15
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Warner, R. (1995) Time trends in schizophrenia: change in obstetric risk factors with industrialization. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 21. 3, 1–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Guilmatre, A, Dubourg, C, Mosca, A-L, Legallie, S, Goldenberg, A, Drouin-Garrand, V, Lavet, V, Rosier, A, Briault, S, Bonnet-Brithault, F, Laumonnier, F, Odent, S, Le Vacon, G, Joly-Helas, G, David, D, Bendavid, C, Pinooit, J- M, Henry, C, Impallomenmi, C, Germano, E, Tortorella, G, Di Rosa, G, Barthelemy, C, Andres, C, Faivre, L, Frebourg, T, Saugier Veber, P, Campion, D (2009). Recurrent rearrangements in synaptic and neurodevelopment genes and shared biologic pathways in schizophrenia, autism and mental retardation. Archives of General Psychiatry 66. 947–936.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Haukka, J, Suvisaari, J, Hakkinen, L, Lonnqvist, J. (2008). Growth pattern and risk of schizophrenia Psychological Medicine 38. 63–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Hoek, HW, Brown, AS, Susser, E. (1998). The Dutch famine and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 33. 373–379.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Jablensky, A. (1986). Epidemiology of schizophrenia: a European perspective. Schizophrenia Bulletin. 12. 52–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Hulshoff, HE, Hoek, HW, Susser, E, Brown, AS, Dingemans, A, Schnack, HG, Van Haren, NE, Pereira Ramos, LM, Gispen de Wied, C,, Kahn, RS. (2000). Prenatal exposure to famine schizophrenia and brain morphology. American of Psychiatry. 157. 1170–1172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Song, S, Wang, W, Hu, P. (2009). Famine, death and madness. Schizophrenia in early adulthood after prenatal exposure to the Chinese Great Leap Forward Famine. University of California eScholarship Repository.Google Scholar
8.St. Clair, D, Xu, M, Wang, P, Yu, Y, Fang, Y, Zhang, Y, Zheng, X, Gu, N, Feng, G, Sham, P, He, L (2005). Rates of adult schizophrenia following prenatal exposure to the Chinese Famine of 1959-1961. Journal of the American Medical Association. 294. 557–562.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.O'Grada, C. (1989). The Great Irish Famine, p. 76. McMillan. London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Connell, KH. (1950). The Population of Ireland 1750-1845, p. 146. The Clarendon Press. Oxford.Google Scholar
11.Clarkson, LA, Crawford, EM. (2001). Feast and Famine. Food and Nutrition in Ireland 1500-1920. Oxford University Press. Oxford.Google Scholar
12.Clarkson, LA, Crawford, EM. (2001). Feast and Famine. Food and Nutrition in Ireland 1500-1920. Oxford University Press. Oxford. p. 59Google Scholar
13.Clarkson, LA, Crawford, EM. (2001). Feast and Famine. Food and Nutrition in Ireland 1500-1920. Oxford University Press. Oxford. p. 87Google Scholar
14.O'Brien, G. (1918). The Economic History of Ireland in the Eighteenth Century, p 102. Maunsel & Co. Dublin.Google Scholar
15.Clarkson, LA, Crawford, EM. (2001). Feast and famine. Food and Nutrition in Ireland 1500-1920, p. 112. Oxford University Press. OxfordCrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Wilde, W. The census of Ireland for the year 1851, part v. Table of deaths, vol 1 11, p 1856 (2087 11) XXX, The Census of Ireland for the year 1861, part iii. Vital statistics, vol. ii. Report and table relating to deaths, PP 1863 (3204-2) LVIII.Google Scholar
17.O'Grada, C. (1999). Black 47 and Beyond, pp 226–227. Princeton University Press. Princeton New JerseyCrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Finnane, M. (1981). Insanity and the Insane in Post-Famine Ireland. Croom Helm. LondonGoogle Scholar
19.Walsh, D. (2008). The lunatic asylums of Ireland 1825-1839. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine. 24. 24–28.Google Scholar
20.Lunatic Asylums - Ireland (1872). The Twenty-First Report of the District, Criminal, and Private Lunatic Asylums in Ireland with appendices. HC1872 (c 647) xxvii.323. p 60Alex Thom. Dublin.Google Scholar
21.Lunatic Asylums - Ireland (1876). The Twenty-Fifth Report of the District, Criminal. and Private Lunatic Asylums in Ireland with appendices. HC 1876 (c 1496) xxxiii.363. p 53. Alex Thom, Dublin.Google Scholar
22.Scull, AT. (1979). Museums of Madness: the Social Organisation of Insanity in Nineteenth Century England. Allen Lane. London.Google Scholar
23.Hare, EH. (1988). Schizophrenia as a recent disease. British Journal of Psychiatry. 153. 521–531.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24.Jablensky, A, Morgan, V, Zubrick, S, Bower, C, Yelleachich, L-A. (2005). Pregnancy, delivery and neonatal complications in a population cohort of women with schizophrenia and major affective disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry. 162. 79–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25.Scull, AT. (1984). Was insanity increasing? A response to Edward Hare. British Journal of Psychiatry. 144. 432–436.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26.McCabe, F. (1869). On the alleged increase in insanity. Journal of Mental Science. 15. 363–366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27.Drapes, T. (1894). On the alleged increase of insanity in Ireland. Journal of Mental Science. 171. 519–548.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28.Special Report from the Inspectors of Lunatics to the Chief Secretary (1884). Alleged increasing prevalence of insanity in Ireland. Alexander Thom & Co. Dublin.Google Scholar
29.Finnane, M. (1981). Insanity and the Insane in Post-Famine Ireland, p 169. Croom Helm. London.Google Scholar
30.Reynolds, J. (1992). Grangegorman. Psychiatric Care in Dublin since 1815, p. 140 and quoting Statute 7 31 Vic 118. Institute of Public Administration. Dublin.Google Scholar
31.Finnane, M. (1981). Insanity and the Insane in Post-Famine Ireland, p 223. Croom Helm. London.Google Scholar
32.Finnane, M. (1985). Asylums, Families and the State, p. 137. History Workshop. No 20 (Autumn, 1985).Google ScholarPubMed
33.Malcolm, E. (1989). Swift's Hospital. A History of St Patrick's Hospital 1746-1989, p. 144. Gill and Macmillan, Dublin.Google Scholar
34.Lunatic Asylums – Ireland (1861–1876). The 10th to the 25th Reports on the Public, Criminal and Private Asylums in Ireland. Alex Thom. Dublin.Google Scholar
35.Male and Female Casebooks ofSligo District Lunatic Asylum 1892-1893. National Archive of Ireland. Dublin.Google Scholar
36.Healy, D, Savage, M, Michael, P, Harris, M, Hirst, D, Carter, M, Cattell, D, McMonagle, T, Sohler, N, Susser, E. (2001). Psychiatric bed utilisation:1896 and 1996 compared. Psychological Medicine 31. 779–790.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
37.Renvoize, EB, Beveridge, AW. (1989). Mental illness and the Victorians. A study of patients admitted to three asylums in York, 1880-1884. Psychological Medicine. 19. 19–28.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
38.Klaf, FS, Hamilton, JG. (1961). Schizophrenia – a hundred years ago and today. Journal of Mental Science. 107. 819–827.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39.Kraepelin, E. (1913). Psychiatrie (8th edn). Translated by Barclay, R.M. from vol 3 part 2 as Dementia Praecox and Paraphrenia. Livingstone. Edinburgh.Google Scholar
40.Tuke, DH. (1882). Dictionary of Psychological Medicine. Churchill. London.Google Scholar
41.Lunatic Asylums – Ireland (1861–1876). The 9th to 25th Reports on the Public, Criminal and Private Asylums of Ireland. HC 1861 (2901) xxvii. 245 and HC 1876 (c.1496) xxxiii. 363. Alex Thom. Dublin.Google Scholar
42.Lunatic Asylums – Ireland. (1857, 1868-1869 and 1876) The 8th, 18th and 24th Reports on the Public, Criminal and Private Asylums of Ireland. HC 1857 Session 2 (2253) xvii. 67, HC 1868-69 (4053) xxxi. 303 and HC 1876 (c.1496) xxxiii. 363. Alex Thom. Dublin.Google Scholar
43.Robins, J. (1986). Fools & Mad. A History of the Insane in Ireland, p. 121. Institute of public Administration. Dublin.Google Scholar
44.Jarvis, E. (1855). Report on Insanity and Idiocy in Massachusetts by the Commission on Lunacy. William White. Boston.Google Scholar
45.Fuller Torrey, E, Miller, J. (2007). The Invisible Plague. The Rise of Mental Illness from 1750 to the Present, p.163. Rutgers University Press. New Brunswick, New Jersey, and London.Google Scholar
46.Malzberg, B, Lee, ES. (1956) Migration and Mental Disease, Social Science Research Council. New YorkGoogle ScholarPubMed
47.Odegaard, O. (1932). Emigration and insanity. A study of Norwegian-born populations of Minnesota. Acta Psychiatrica et Neurologica (Supplement 4). 1–206.Google Scholar
48.Harrison, G, Owens, D, Holton, A, Neilson, D, Boot, D. (1988). A prospective study of severe mental illness in Afro-Caribbean patients. Psychological Medicine. 18, 3. 643–657.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
49.Ryan, L, Leavey, G, Golden, A, Blizzard, M, King, M. (2006). Depression n Irish emigrants living in London: case-control study. British Journal of Psychiatry. 188. 560–566.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
50.Fuller Torrey, E, Miller, J. (2007). The Invisible Plague. The Rise of Mental Illness from 1750 to the Present, p. 109. Rutgers University Press. New Brunswick, New Jersey and London.Google Scholar
51.Lunatic Asylums- Ireland (1849). Report on the District, Local and Private Asylums 1847, HC 1849 (1054) xxiii. 53.Google Scholar
52.Lunatic Asylums – Ireland (1878), 27th report on the District, Criminal, and Private Asylums of Ireland 1877. HC 1878 (c. 2037) xxxix. 395.Google Scholar