The ROOTS Study

Aims
The ROOTS study is a longitudinal study of teenagers established in 2006 to evaluate the relative contributions of defined genetic, physiological, psychological and social variables, occurring at different stages of child development, to the overall risk for psychopathology during adolescence. In particular, ROOTS aims to explore genetically influenced intermediate biology (e.g. endophenotypes and biomarkers) that precede, correlate with/or predict dimensional risk markers (e.g. subthreshold symptoms) for future mental illnesses.

Institution
Neuroscience in Psychiatry Network (NSPN), University of Cambridge

Geographic coverage - Nations
England

Geographic coverage - Regions
Cambridgeshire

Start date
2006

Catalogue record last updated
26/01/2024

Sample type
Cohort study

Sample details
Participants were recruited from 18 secondary schools across Cambridgeshire at age 14. As initial recruitment material (formal information letters and consent forms) yielded a low consent rate from the first four schools, literature was redesigned as a short invitation letter, coloured leaflet and small consent postcard for subsequent schools. Presentations and Q&As in schools at year-group assemblies were also conducted. Overall, 1238 (33%) young people were recruited - 675 girls (54.5%) and 563 (45.5%) boys. Using ACORN categories as a proxy measure of social and economic class, the ROOTS sample has twice as many ‘wealthy achievers’ but only half the number of ‘moderate means’ or ‘hard pressed’ families compared with UK figures (Goodyer et al. 2010).

Sample size at recruitment
1,185 adolescents
1,141 parents

Sample size at most recent sweep
1,074 (2008 - Age 17 fMRI sub-study)
157 (2012 - Age 21 Stress reactivity sub-study)

Sex
All

Age at recruitment
14 years

Cohort year of birth
1991-92