Dr Jessica Agnew-Blais

Postgraduate Teaching

Social and Environmental Influences on Mental Health

Research

Research Interests:

ADHD, psychiatric epidemiology

Publications

Agnew-Blais J, Belsky D, Caspi A, Danese A, Moffitt TE, Polanczyk GV, Sugden K, Wertz J, Williams B, Lewis C, Arseneault L. Polygenic risk and the course of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder from childhood to young adulthood: findings from a nationally-representative cohort. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2021; 2021 Jan 10:S0890-8567(21)00001-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2020.12.033. Online ahead of print.

Ganesan K, Shakoor S, Wertz J, Agnew-Blais J, Bowes L, Jaffee SR, Matthews T, Arseneault L. Bullying behaviours and other conduct problems: longitudinal investigation of their independent associations with risk factors and later outcomes. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2021 Apr 15. doi: 10.1007/s00127-021-02062-4. Online ahead of print.

Agnew-Blais J, Polanczyk GV, Danese A, Wertz J, Moffitt TE, Arseneault L. Are changes in ADHD course reflected in differences in IQ and executive functioning from childhood to young adulthood? Psychological Medicine 2020;50(16):2799-2808.

Stern A, Agnew-Blais J, Danese A, Fisher HL, Matthews T, Polanczyk G, Wertz J, Arseneault L. Associations between ADHD and emotional problems from childhood to young adulthood: A longitudinal genetically-sensitive study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2020; 61(11):1234-1242.

Wertz J, Moffitt TE, Agnew-Blais J, Arseneault L, Belsky DW, Corcoran DL, Houts R, Matthews T, Prinz JA, Richmond-Rakerd LS, Sugden K, Williams B, Caspi A. Using DNA from mothers and children to study parental investment in children’s educational attainment. Child Development 2020; 91(5):1745-1761.

Caye A, Agnew-Blais J, Arseneault L, Gonçalves H, Kieling C, Langley K, Menezes AMB, Moffitt TE, Passos IC, Rocha TB, Sibley MH, Swanson JM, Thapar A, Wehrmeister F, Rohde LA. A risk calculator to predict adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: generation and external validation in three birth cohorts and one clinical sample. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Science May 2019 [Epub ahead of print]

van Dongen J, Zilhão NR, Sugden K; BIOS Consortium, Hannon EJ, Mill J, Caspi A, Agnew-Blais J, Arseneault L, Corcoran DL, Moffitt TE, Poulton R, Franke B, Boomsma DI. Epigenome-wide association study of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in adults. Biological Psychiatry 2019; 86(8):599-607.

Asherson P, Agnew-Blais J. Annual research review: Does late-onset attention-deficit disorder exist? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2019; 60(4):333-352.

Mowlem F, Agnew-Blais J, Taylor E, Asherson P. Do different factors influence whether girls versus boys meet ADHD diagnostic criteria? Sex differences among children with high ADHD symptoms. Psychiatry Research 2019; 272:765-773.

Mowlem FD, Agnew-Blais J, Pingault JB, Asherson P. Evaluating a scale of excessive mind wandering among males and females with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder from a population sample. Scientific Reports 2019; 28;9(1):3071.

Agnew-Blais J. Intriguing findings regarding the association between asthma and ADHD. Lancet Psychiatry 2018 ;5(9):689-690.

Agnew-Blais J, Polanczyk GV, Danese A, Wertz J, Moffitt TE, Arseneault L. Young adult mental health and functional outcomes among individuals with remitted, persistent and late-onset ADHD in an 18-year prospective cohort of twins. British Journal of Psychiatry 2018; 213(3):526-534. 

Stern A, Agnew-Blais J, Danese A, Fisher HL, Jaffee SR, Matthews T, Polanczyk GV, Arseneault L. Associations between abuse/neglect and ADHD from childhood to young adulthood: A prospective nationally-representative twin study. Child Abuse & Neglect 2018; 81:274-285.

Wertz J, Agnew-Blais J, Caspi A, Danese A, Fisher HL, Goldman-Mellor S, Moffitt TE, Arseneault L. From childhood conduct problems to poor functioning at age 18 years: Examining explanations in a longitudinal cohort study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2018; 57(1):54-60.

Agnew-Blais J. Childhood comorbidity and parental mental health problems appear to be associated with ADHD persistence. Evidence-Based Mental Health 2017; 20(3):e13.

Gregory AM*, Agnew-Blais J*, Matthews T, Moffitt TE, Arseneault L. Associations between ADHD and sleep quality: Longitudinal analyses from a nationally-representative cohort of twins. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology 2017; 46(2):284-29. *co-first authors

Agnew-Blais J, Seidman LJ, Fitzmaurice GM, Smoller JW, Goldstein JM, Buka SL. The interplay of childhood behavior problems and IQ in the development of later schizophrenia and affective psychoses. Schizophrenia Research 2017; 184:45-51.

Agnew-Blais J, Polanczyk GV, Danese A, Wertz J, Moffitt TE, Arseneault L. Evaluation of the persistence, remission, and emergence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in young adulthood. JAMA Psychiatry 2016; 73(7):713-720.

Agnew-Blais J, Danese A. Childhood maltreatment and unfavourable clinical outcomes in bipolar disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry 2016; 3(4):342-349.

Media coverage for this paper included articles in US News Health, the Times of India, and Science Daily.

Wertz J, Nottingham K, Agnew-Blais J, Matthews T, Pariante CM, Moffitt TE, Arseneault L. Parental monitoring and knowledge: Testing bidirectional associations with youths’ antisocial behavior. Development and Psychopathology 2016; 28:623-638.

Lee YC, Agnew-Blais J, Malspeis S, Keyes K, Costenbader K, Kubzansky LD, Roberts AL, Koenen KC, Karlson EW. Posttraumatic stress disorder and risk for incident rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Care Research 2016; 68(3):292-298.

Seidman LJ, Pousada-Casal A, Scala S, Meyer EC, Stone WS, Thermenos HW, Molokotos E, Agnew-Blais J, Tsuang MT, Faraone SV. Auditory vigilance and working memort in youth at familial risk for schizophrenia or affective psychosis in the Harvard Adolescent Family High Risk Study. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 2016; 22(10):1026-1037.

Keyes K, Agnew-Blais J, Roberts AL, Hamilton A, De Vivo I, Ranu H, Koenen K. The role of allelic variation in estrogen receptor genes and major depression in the Nurses’ Health Study. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 2015; 50(12):1893-1904.

Agnew-Blais J, Buka SL, Fitzmaurice GM, Smoller JW, Goldstein JM, Seidman LJ. Early childhood IQ trajectories in individuals later developing schizophrenia and affective psychoses in the New England Family Studies. Schizophrenia Bulletin 2015; 41(4):817-823.

Roberts A, Agnew-Blais J, Spiegelman D, Mason S, Galea S, Hu FB, Kubzansky LD, Rich-Edwards JW, Koenen KC. Posttraumatic stress disorder and type 2 diabetes incidence in women: An 18-year longitudinal study. JAMA Psychiatry 2015; 72(3):203-210.

Agnew-Blais J, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Kang JH, Hogan PE, Coker LH, Snetselaar LG, Smoller JW. Folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 intake and mild cognitive impairment and probable dementia in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2015; 115(2):231-241.

Sumner JA, Kubzansky LD, Elkind MS, Roberts AL, Agnew-Blais J, Chen Q, Cerdá M, Rexrode KM, Rich-Edwards JW, Spiegelman D, Suglia SF, Rimm EB, Koenen KC. Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms predict onset of cardiovascular events in women. Circulation 2015; 132(4):251-259.

Book chapter: Agnew-Blais J, Seidman, LJ. ADHD over the Life Course. Eds. Koenen KC, Rudenstein S, Galea S, and Susser E. Life Course Epidemiology of Mental Disorders. Oxford University Press, 2014.

Mason SM, Flint AJ, Roberts AL, Agnew-Blais J, Koenen KC, Rich-Edwards JW. Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and food addiction in women by timing and type of trauma exposure. JAMA Psychiatry 2014; 71(11):1271-1278.

Breslau N, Koenen KC, Agnew-Blais J, Swanson S, Houts RM, Poulton R, Moffitt TE. Childhood maltreatment, juvenile disorders and adult posttraumatic stress disorder: A prospective investigation. Psychological Medicine 2014; 44(9):1937-45

Gerbasi ME, Richards LK, Thomas JJ, Agnew-Blais JC, Thompson-Brenner H, Gilman SE, Becker AE. Globalization and eating disorder risk: peer influence, perceived social norms, and adolescent disordered eating in Fiji. International Journal of Eating Disorders 2014; 47(7):727-37.

Agnew-Blais J, Seidman, LJ. Neurocognition in youth and young adults under age 30 at familial risk for schizophrenia: A quantitative and qualitative review. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 2013; 18(1-2):44-82.

Seidman LJ, Cherkerzian S, Goldstein JM, Agnew-Blais J, Tsuang MT, Buka SL. Neuropsychological performance and family history in children at age 7 who develop adult schizophrenia or bipolar psychosis in the New England High-Risk Family Study. Psychological Medicine 2012; 11:1-13.

Becker AE, Fay KE, Agnew-Blais J, Khan AN, Striegel-Moore RH, Gilman SE.  Social network media exposure and adolescent eating pathology in Fiji. British Journal of Psychiatry 2011; 198:43-50.

Carnevale J, Gropper AB, Agnew-Blais J, Mimiaga MJ, Mhango A, Bail R, Ngoma M. Knowledge base and caretaker-child communication about HIV in peri-urban schoolchildren of Lusaka, Zambia. AIDS Care 2011; 23(5):646-53. 

Betancourt TS, Agnew-Blais J, Gilman SE, Williams DR, Ellis BH. Past horrors, present struggles: The role of stigma in the association between war experiences and psychosocial adjustment among former child soldiers in Sierra Leone. Social Science and Medicine 2010; 70(1):17-26.

Agnew-Blais J, Carnevale J, Gropper A, Shilika E, Bail R, Ngoma M.  Schistosomiasis haematobium prevalence and risk factors in a school-age population of peri-urban Lusaka, Zambia. Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 2010; 56(4):247-53.

Becker AE, Fay KE, Agnew-Blais J, Guarnaccia PM, Striegel-Moore RH, Gilman SE. Development of a measure of ‘acculturation’ for ethnic Fijians: Methodologic and conceptual considerations for application to eating disorders. Transcultural Psychiatry 2010; 47(5):754-88.

Shrank WH, Choudhry NK, Agnew-Blais J, Federman AD, Liberman JN, Liu J, Kesselheim AS, Brookhart MA, Fischer MA.  State generic substitution laws can lower drug outlays under Medicaid. Health Affairs 2010; 29(7):1383-90.

Agnew-Blais J, Coblyn JS, Katz JN, Anderson RJ, Mehta J, Solomon DH.  Measuring quality of care for rheumatic diseases using an electronic medical record. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2009; 68(5):680-4. 

Wolf MS, Shekelle P, Choudhry NK, Agnew-Blais J, Parker RM, Shrank WH. Variability in pharmacy interpretations of physician prescriptions. Medical Care 2009; 47(3):370-3. 

Shrank WH, Agnew-Blais J, Choudhry NK, Wolf MS, Kesselheim AS, Avorn J, Shekelle P. The variability and quality of medication container labels. Archives of Internal Medicine 2007; 167(16):1760-1765.

Supervision

PhD supervision

• Anna Paul
• Amandine Sénéquier