One of the most informative studies on childhood risk factors that are associated with the subsequent development of psychopath ology is the Christchurch Health and Development. Study that, followed a birth cohort of 1265 children to age 21.19 Extensive testing of causal links between several risk factors and specific mental disorders that have been examined include: lead exposure and cognitive outcomes; parental separation and divorce and child psychopathology; child abuse and mental health in adolescence; the accumulative effects of adverse family factors; sexual orientation and mental health; and a range of other factors such as cannabis use/abuse and other illicit, drugs, adoption, interparental violence and migration.19
