Mediation effect of insomnia symptoms between positive psychotic like experiences and suicidal ideation among Lebanese young adults

Abstract

Background Psychotic symptoms reported by healthy individuals in the general population are referred to as psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and have been proven to increase the risk of suicidal ideation (SI) in these individuals. As it is well established that PLEs and insomnia share a bidirectional association and also that insomnia is linked to SI, we hypothesized that insomnia may represent a mediator underlying the relationship between PLEs and SI. Our aim was to validate this hypothesis among Lebanese young adults. Methods A total of 3103 young adults (mean age 21.73 ± 3.80 years; 63.6% females) recruited from all Lebanese governorates completed a self-administered online questionnaire. PLEs were assessed using the CAPE-42 scale, SI using the Columbia Suicide Rating Scale, and insomnia using the Insomnia Severity Index). We conducted a mediation analysis using SPSS PROCESS v3.4 model 4 with three pathways. Variables that showed a p < 0.25 in the bivariate analysis were entered in the path analysis. Results A total of 1378 participants (44.4%) had insomnia; 18.8% had SI; 42.5% reported at least one positive PE ‘nearly always’, and 30.5% reported at least one negative PE with this frequency. The results of the mediation analysis showed that insomnia severity partially mediated the association between positive dimension and SI; higher positive dimension was significantly associated with more insomnia severity, which was, in turn, significantly associated with more SI. Finally, more positive dimension was significantly and directly associated with more SI. Conclusion These preliminary findings might encourage the implementation of new preventive measures to reduce SI among PLEs patients. Treating symptoms of insomnia might help reduce the risk of suicide.

Editorial: Psychotic experiences and symptoms in adolescents and young adults from different countries and cultural backgrounds

“…Results from the logistic regression revealed that PEs (paranoid ideation, perceptual abnormalities) and expressive suppression are strongly associated with suicidal ideation, even after adjusting for demographic variables and depression. In sum, these results corroborate those of previous studies from other developing countries that found a close link between PEs and high rates of suicidal ideation ( 15 ). Another Chilean study by Langer et al aimed to better understand how PEs relate to various psychological processes and psychiatric symptoms (i.e., depression, suicidal behavior, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, entrapment/defeat and emotional regulation) using latent profile analysis (LPA) and a sample of adolescent general population.…”

Psychometric properties of the Arabic translation of the Dark Future Scale questionnaire in a non-clinical sample of Arabic-speaking young adults

“…In addition, we excepted that this model would have invariance across women and men, which would be consistent with previous work [4], and have adequate concurrent validity with psychological distress and temperaments. For instance, a previous study [5] conducted in Lebanon suggested that experiencing psychological distress is a moderator for the relationship between negative temperament (anxiety and fear) and dark future.…”

“…The attitude of human beings toward the future varies greatly, ranging from optimism to pessimism. Therefore, several studies [4,5] explored how personality traits can affect the ability to deal with threats and decide if forthcoming events will be faced with worry, fear and stress. Moreover, the environment and current situation of a person (economic status, a disabled family member…) have been shown to affect their perception of the future; for instance, in Iran, a recent study [6] conducted among mothers with disabled children concluded that they experience higher levels of anxiety about the future, health, and welfare.…”