Precursors and correlates of transient and persistent longitudinal profiles of psychotic experiences from late childhood through early adulthood

Abstract

Background Psychotic experiences are reported by 5–10% of young people, although only a minority persist and develop into psychotic disorders. It is unclear what characteristics differentiate those with transient psychotic experiences from those with persistent psychotic experiences that are more likely to be of clinical relevance. Aims To investigate how longitudinal profiles of psychotic experiences, created from assessments at three different time points, are influenced by early life and co-occurring factors. Method Using data from 8045 individuals from a birth cohort study, longitudinal profiles of psychotic experiences based on semi-structured interviews conducted at 12, 18 and 24 years were defined. Environmental, cognitive, psychopathological and genetic determinants of these profiles were investigated, along with concurrent changes in psychopathology and cognition. Results Following multiple imputations, the distribution of longitudinal profiles of psychotic experiences was none (65.7%), transient (24.1%), low-frequency persistent (8.4%) and high-frequency persistent (1.7%). Individuals with high-frequency persistent psychotic experiences were more likely to report traumatic experiences, other psychopathology, a more externalised locus of control, reduced emotional stability and conscientious personality traits in childhood, compared with those with transient psychotic experiences. These characteristics also differed between those who had any psychotic experiences and those who did not. Conclusions These findings indicate that the same risk factors are associated with incidence as with persistence of psychotic experiences. Thus, it might be that the severity of exposure, rather than the presence of specific disease-modifying factors, is most likely to determine whether psychotic experiences are transient or persist, and potentially develop into a clinical disorder over time.

Cognitive Biases and Socio-Occupational Functioning Mediate the Relationship between Executive Functions and the Severity of Psychopathology among Young Adults with Psychotic-like Experiences: 1-Year Follow-Up Study

“…One possible reason for this is that participants who stayed in the project became more aware of their psychotic-like experiences as well as other symptoms, and they started seeking help (which resulted in a reduction in their CAARMS scores). However, it is also important to consider that symptoms may spontaneously decrease in non-clinical samples, as evidenced by recent research indicating that the majority of PLEs are transient [ 112 ]. Furthermore, the analysis of the average SOFAS results suggests that this study may have attracted high-functioning individuals.…”

Early-life inflammatory markers and subsequent psychotic and depressive episodes between 10 to 28 years of age

“…Multiple episodes of depression are an important marker of disorder burden and severity as they are associated with later chronic depression and treatment resistance ( Humer et al, 2020 ; Kendler et al, 2001 ). Persistent PEs, as opposed to ones that are transient, are also associated with a greater general psychopathology and increased risk for psychotic disorders ( Dominguez et al, 2011 ; Kalman et al, 2019 ; Rammos et al, 2021 ). Hence, it is important to investigate what predicts multiple, subsequent occurrences of depression and PEs during an important period of neurodevelopment.…”

A Latent Profile Analysis of Psychotic Experiences, Non-psychotic Symptoms, Suicidal Ideation and Underlying Mechanisms in a Sample of Adolescents From the General Population

“…Although the measurement scales are designed for general and subclinical populations, the variables may have presented some variability restriction in their lower range (i.e., floor effect), which could limit statistical power. Moreover, other variables associated with PEs, such as adverse childhood experiences ( 75 ), attachment styles ( 76 ) and cognitive functioning ( 77 ) were not studied. In addition, although our work was based on the premise of extended psychosis phenotype, it has been found that PEs may not be the same experience in clinical and non-clinical populations ( 78 ); thus, cautious interpretations must be considered to apply these results to more clinical populations.…”