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Epidemiological research in psychiatry has numerous applications. Our favorite is addressing the complexity within and among common mental disorders (CMD). A research direction within this framework involves determining subtypes of disorders (e.g. through symptom, comorbidity or risk factor patterns) and identifying their specific risk mechanisms (e.g. through biomarkers, other disorder features). Currently, we are struggling to gain a better understanding of the impact of immunological mechanisms related to atopic diseases on brain development, functioning, and distinguishing them from immunological mechanisms induced by other mechanisms. Similarly, we are examining the interferences between stress and trauma (e.g. adverse childhood experiences) and immunological shifts regarding their impact on CMD.
In parallel, we develop new methodological tools to handle the complexity and heterogeneity of specific CMD. The primary methodological approach to addressing heterogeneity is subtyping, which encompasses many different variants and perspectives. A recent example from our work is a backdating procedure for biomarkers that focuses on trauma and PTSD. The procedure relies on the fact that many biomarkers get "frozen" across the life span – in this instance, after a traumatic experience. Current efforts aim at a procedure to adapt the multiverse regression framework to clustering analysis, for example to latent class analysis.
In terms of theoretical modeling, we are developing a concept for the integration of information from different severity forms of a CMD (e.g. subthreshold / full disorder matched with persistent / non-persistent course). While our focus is on neurodevelopmental disorders (ADHD, stuttering), the model is applicable to any CMD.
Further research directions include the epidemiology of suicide and comparative analyses between CMD and chronic inflammatory diseases (skin diseases, autoimmune disorders).
This research mainly relies on big data bases from Swiss epidemiological surveys (Zurich Study of Jules Angst, the ZInEP Epidemiology Survey, CoLaus|PsyCoLaus from Lausanne).
Ajdacic-Gross V, Buadze A, Wagner EN, Müller M, Seifritz E, Ranjbar S, Glaus J, Castelao E, Strippoli MF, Vandeleur CL, Preisig M, von Känel R. Relationship Between ABO Blood Groups and Mental Disorders. J Blood Med. 2025 Jan 3;16:1-5. doi: 10.2147/JBM.S470340. eCollection 2025.
Wagner EN, Pichler EM, Müller M, Eisenhut A, Buadze A, Xu Y, Seifritz E, Strippoli MF, Castelao E, Ranjbar S, Glaus J, Vandeleur C, Preisig M, von Känel R, Ajdacic-Gross V. First episode depression during the perinatal period is associated with atopic diseases and persistently increased eosinophil and basophil levels. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2024 Oct 16. doi: 10.1007/s00737-024-01522-5.
Xu Y, Ajdacic-Gross V, Müller M, Buadze A, Seifritz E, Kleim B, von Känel R, Wagner EN, Strippoli MF, Castelao E, Preisig M, Vandeleur CL. Childhood adversity patterns differentially cluster with mental disorders and socioeconomic indicators in a large Swiss community sample. Compr Psychiatry. 2022 Jan;112:152282. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152282.
Xu Y, Vandeleur C, Müller M, Seifritz E, Kleim B, von Känel R, Wagner EN, Strippoli MF, Castelao E, Gholamrezaee MM, Preisig M, Ajdacic-Gross V. Retrospectively assessed trajectories of PTSD symptoms and their subsequent comorbidities. J Psychiatr Res. 2021 Apr;136:71-79. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.01.049.
Ajdacic-Gross, V., Ajdacic, L., Xu, Y., Müller, M., Rodgers, S., Wyss, C., ... & von Känel, R. (2021). Backtracing persistent biomarker shifts to the age of onset: A novel procedure applied to men’s and women’s white blood cell counts in post-traumatic stress disorder. Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry, 4, 100030. doi: 10.1016/j.bionps.2021.100030
Tesic A, Rodgers S, Müller M, Wagner EN, von Känel R, Castelao E, Strippoli MF, Vandeleur CL, Seifritz E, Preisig M, Ajdacic-Gross V. Sex differences in neurodevelopmental and common mental disorders examined from three epidemiological perspectives. Psychiatry Res. 2019 Aug;278:213-217. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.06.019.