Coping in the relationship between trauma and psychosis proneness V1.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Coping in the relationship between trauma and psychosis proneness in young people
IRAS ID
302379
Contact name
Lily McNamee
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
The continuum model of psychosis proposes that psychotic symptoms (e.g., hallucinations, delusions) exist on a continuous spectrum in the general population, with diagnosable psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, at one end and low-level psychotic experiences (PEs) at the other. PEs include experiences such as paranoia, bizarre thinking, and perceptual abnormalities (e.g., seeing/hearing things that others cannot), which are not severe enough to meet clinical criteria for diagnosis of a psychotic disorder.
PEs typically emerge in adolescence, affecting approximately 7-8% of children/teenagers. Around 20% of people who experience PEs will develop psychotic symptoms, which can lead to diagnosis of a psychotic disorder and greater care needs. It has been hypothesised that people transition from experiencing PEs to developing a diagnosable psychotic disorder when long-term PEs occur alongside various biological, developmental, environmental, and psychological risk factors.Experiencing traumatic, adverse, or difficult events is a risk factor for PEs and psychosis. How people cope with difficult experiences is important across the continuum of psychosis, with negative coping associated with poor outcomes and positive coping associated with recovery. Coping style may be a factor in whether young people who experience PEs go on to develop psychosis and, if so, supporting these young people to develop positive coping skills is an important target for early intervention and prevention.
This study aims to explore the role of coping in the relationship between trauma and PEs in young people. 115-150 UK-based 16-25-year-olds will complete online questionnaires on exposure to difficult events, coping style and experience of PEs. Then six to ten 14-25-year-olds who are accessing NHS Fife mental health services will participate in interviews exploring their coping experiences.
This study will help us understand how young people cope with difficult experiences, what they need to help them develop positive coping strategies and how we can improve services.REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 2
REC reference
22/ES/0022
Date of REC Opinion
23 Aug 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion