Psychiatric epidemiology – Paul Lichtenstein's research group

We study causes, consequences and comorbidities for psychiatric conditions primarily among children and adolescents. We combine national health data with clinical data, use advanced family and twin design, and have large national and international collaborations.

Part of the:

Our research

The work in my group is primarily concerned with using genetically informative samples (twins, families) to understand genetic and environmental influences on both health and behavior. The studies are usually based on the Swedish Twin Registry (comprising more than 200 000 twins) and other Swedish Registries such as the Multi-Generational Register (comprising all individuals born in Sweden since 1931).

My group performs quantitative genetic studies - that is, evaluate the relative importance of genes and environments for a phenotype - and "cotwin-control"-studies, where the importance of an exposure is evaluated after controlling for genetic predisposition for the disease. The research is interdisciplinary and includes, among others, medical, genetic, epidemiological, sociological and psychological research questions.