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The temporal association between social isolation, distress, and psychotic experiences in individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2024

Zeynep Akcaoglu
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatry Research Group, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Thomas Vaessen*
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatry Research Group, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium Department of Psychology, Health & Technology, Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
Eva Velthorst
Affiliation:
Department of Research, Community Mental Health Service GGZ Noord-Holland-Noord, Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands
Ginette Lafit
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatry Research Group, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Research Group of Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Robin Achterhof
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatry Research Group, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Barnaby Nelson
Affiliation:
Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Patrick McGorry
Affiliation:
Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Frederike Schirmbeck
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands Arkin, Institute for Mental Health, Amsterdam, North Holland, The Netherlands
Craig Morgan
Affiliation:
ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health and Social Epidemiology Research Group, King's College London, London, London, UK Health Service and Population Research Department, Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
Jessica Hartmann
Affiliation:
Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Department of Public Mental Health, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Mark van der Gaag
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, North Holland, The Netherlands Department of Psychosis Research, Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, South Holland, The Netherlands
Lieuwe de Haan
Affiliation:
Department of Early Psychosis, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Amsterdam, North Holland, The Netherlands
Lucia Valmaggia
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
Philip McGuire
Affiliation:
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
Matthew Kempton
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's Health Partners, King's College London, London, UK
Henrietta Steinhart
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatry Research Group, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Annelie Klippel
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatry Research Group, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands Department of Lifespan Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands
Wolfgang Viechtbauer
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Tim Batink
Affiliation:
Department of Lifespan Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands
Ruud van Winkel
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatry Research Group, Center for Clinical Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Thérèse van Amelsvoort
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Machteld Marcelis
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands Institute for Mental Health Care Eindhoven (GGzE), Eindhoven, The Netherlands, https://www.ggze.nl/
Evelyne van Aubel
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatry Research Group, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Ulrich Reininghaus
Affiliation:
ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health and Social Epidemiology Research Group, King's College London, London, London, UK Health Service and Population Research Department, Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK Department of Public Mental Health, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Inez Myin-Germeys
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatry Research Group, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
EU-GEI High Risk Study
Affiliation:
See Acknowledgements
*
Corresponding author: Thomas Vaessen; Email: t.r.vaessen@utwente.nl

Abstract

Background

Psychotic experiences (PEs) and social isolation (SI) seem related during early stages of psychosis, but the temporal dynamics between the two are not clear. Literature so far suggests a self-perpetuating cycle wherein momentary increases in PEs lead to social withdrawal, which, subsequently, triggers PEs at a next point in time, especially when SI is associated with increased distress. The current study investigated the daily-life temporal associations between SI and PEs, as well as the role of SI-related and general affective distress in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis.

Methods

We used experience sampling methodology in a sample of 137 CHR participants. We analyzed the association between SI, PEs, and distress using time-lagged linear mixed-effects models.

Results

SI did not predict next-moment fluctuations in PEs, or vice versa. Furthermore, although SI-related distress was not predictive of subsequent PEs, general affective distress during SI was a robust predictor of next-moment PEs.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that SI and PEs are not directly related on a moment-to-moment level, but a negative emotional state when alone does contribute to the risk of PEs. These findings highlight the role of affective wellbeing during early-stage psychosis development.

Information

Type
Original Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

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