Fig. 1.

Conceptual model with potential explanatory mechanisms (lower panels a, b, and c). Note. Conceptual model of how childhood adversities might play a role in the association of schizophrenia polygenic risk with child emotional and behavioural problems (upper panel). The lower panel represents three potential explanatory mechanisms which might underlie this association. Left (a), a causal mediation framework, in which increased schizophrenia polygenic risk leads to more child emotional and behavioural problems through childhood adversities. Middle (b), a non-causal model in which the association between schizophrenia polygenic risk and child emotional and behavioural problems is not explained by childhood adversities, but by other confounding factors such as socioeconomic minority status. Right (c), a non-causal gene–environment correlational framework, in which the relationship between schizophrenia polygenic risk and child emotional and behavioural problems is explained by childhood adversities, but which in turned are determined by other factors such as parenting and parental genetic factors