Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP) Practice Test

A 33-year old married woman with one biological child receives a diagnosis of Schizophrenia. Her husband has no symptoms or family history of the disorder. Which of her relatives is at greatest risk for receiving the same diagnosis?

1. Parent

2. Biological sibling

3. Adopted sibling

4. Child

The correct answer is: Child

The correct answer is based on the understanding of genetic predisposition for schizophrenia. Research indicates that children of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia have a significantly higher risk of developing the disorder themselves, compared to the general population. The estimated lifetime risk for a child when one parent has schizophrenia is approximately 10%, which is notably higher than the risk to siblings, other relatives, or adopted individuals within the family. In this case, the woman has a diagnosis of schizophrenia, creating a direct genetic link to her biological child. While biological siblings also have an increased risk (around 10% to 12% if one sibling has schizophrenia), the direct parent-child relationship reflects a stronger genetic component. Adopted relatives do not share genetic material with the biological parent and, therefore, have a much lower risk of developing the disorder. This understanding highlights the importance of genetic factors in the transmission of schizophrenia and delineates the risk differences among relatives based on biological connection.