Protective factors for psychotic experiences amongst adolescents exposed to multiple forms of victimization
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: Experiencing multiple types of victimization (poly-victimization) during adolescence is associated with the onset of psychotic experiences (such as hearing voices, having visions, or being extremely paranoid). However, many poly-victimized adolescents will not develop such subclinical phenomena and the factors that protect them are unknown. This study investigated whether individual, family, or community-level characteristics were associated with an absence of psychotic experiences amongst poly-victimized adolescents. Participants were from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally-representative cohort of 2232 UK-born twins. Exposure to seven different types of victimization between ages 12-18 was ascertained using a modified version of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire at age 18. Adolescents were also interviewed about psychotic experiences at age 18. Protective factors were measured at ages 12 and 18. We found that exposure to poly-victimization during adolescence was associated with age-18 psychotic experiences (OR = 4.62, 95% CI 3.59-5.94, P < 0.001), but more than a third of the poly-victimized adolescents reported having no psychotic experiences (40.1%). Greater social support was found to be protective against adolescent psychotic experiences even amongst those exposed to poly-victimization. Engaging in physical activity and greater neighborhood social cohesion were also associated with a reduced likelihood of age-18 psychotic experiences in the whole sample, with non-significant trends in the poly-victimized group. Increasing social support and promoting physical activity appear to be important areas for future research into the development of preventive interventions targeting adolescent psychotic experiences. This adds further weight to calls to increase the promotion of these factors on a public health scale.
Source: Journal of Psychiatric Research
Language: English
Topic: Child Abuse and Trauma
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,294
Funders: MQ: Transforming Mental Health, Jacobs Foundation, Medical Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
Awards: Duke Population Research Center, Neuropsychological and genomic signatures of violence exposure in childhood, G4036427723, G4184501341, G4312987371, G6830927528, Mental Health Leadership Fellow - The impact of social relationships in the 21st century on mental health and wellbeing, G7883804441
OpenAlex ID: W2807912157