A Deeper Dive Into the Relation Between Psychotic-like Experiences and Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors in Children Across the United States

Samantha Y. Jay, Jason Schiffman, Rebecca Grattan, Kirstie O'Hare, Mallory Klaunig, Jordan DeVylder, Nicole R. Karcher

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Children who endorse psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) appear to be at a greater risk for suicidal ideation and behavior (SI/SB) compared to their peers who do not endorse PLEs. Despite evidence of differential relations among subtypes of PLEs and SI/SB, the research on which PLE subtypes produce the strongest associations remains mixed. Further, though there is evidence that general psychological distress may help explain the relation between PLEs and SI/SB, no research has investigated the role of distress specific to PLEs in this association. STUDY DESIGN: The present study sought to assess the associations among individual Prodromal Questionnaire-Brief Child Version (PQ-BC) items and SI/SB, as well as to explore the role of distress associated with PLEs as a mediator and/or moderator in a demographically diverse sample of children across the United States (N = 11 875). STUDY RESULTS: Results revealed that individual items of the PQ-BC may be differentially predictive of lifetime SI (ßs = 0.000-0.098) and SB (ßs=0.002-0.059), even when controlling for sociodemographic variables, internalizing symptoms, and traumatic experiences, with particularly strong associations observed among items indexing thought control, auditory hallucinations, suspiciousness, and nihilistic thinking/dissociative experiences. Item 13, nihilistic thinking/dissociative experiences, displayed the strongest effect sizes. Findings from moderation and mediation models provided evidence consistent with distress as both a partial mediator and moderator of the relation between total PLEs and individual PQ-BC items with SI and SB. CONCLUSIONS: Distress specific to PLEs may be an important modifiable risk factor to target in suicide assessment, prevention, and intervention efforts.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1241-1251
Number of pages11
JournalSchizophrenia bulletin
Volume48
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1 2022

Keywords

  • early intervention
  • prevention
  • psychosis-spectrum
  • suicide

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Psychiatry and Mental health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A Deeper Dive Into the Relation Between Psychotic-like Experiences and Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors in Children Across the United States'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this