Schizophrenia appears to be linked to the father's age at conception.
The study did not identify a specific genetic component to schizophrenia. The multiple divisions that a sperm cell goes through offers many chances for mutations. Reseachers found that men who become fathers in their 40s and 50s are two to three times more likely to father a child with the disease. Scripps Howard News Service. Study links schizophrenia risk to older dads.