Psychotic-like experiences as a co-occurring psychopathological indicator of multi-dimensional affective symptoms: Findings from a cross-sectional survey among college students

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough connections between psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and a series of non-psychotic disorders have been widely explored in previous research, it is unclear whether PLEs could act as a co-occurring psychopathological indicator of multi-dimensional affective symptoms. MethodsA total of 4761 students took part in an online survey which assessed the frequency of PLEs and three types of affective symptoms over lifetime. Binary logistic regression models were used to examine associations between PLEs and each type of affective symptom. Network analysis was conducted to explore the relationship among three subtypes of PLEs - persecutory ideation (PI), bizarre experiences (BEs) and perceptual abnormalities (PAs), and different types of affective symptoms. ResultsThe results showed that compared with the non-PLEs group, the PLEs group suffered significantly higher risk of experiencing three types of affective symptoms, including manic symptoms [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 11.50, 95 % confidence interval (CI) (4.59–28.81)], depressive symptoms [aOR 7.28, 95 % CI (4.98–10.66)] and anxiety symptoms [aOR 4.47, 95 % CI (3.10–6.43)]. In the network model, bizarre experiences were the most critical central symptom. Both depressive and anxiety symptoms were most strongly associated with persecutory ideation while manic symptoms were most closely related to bizarre experiences. LimitationsCross-sectional data and self-reported symptoms. ConclusionsThese findings suggest that PLEs are a vital co-occurring indicator of multi-dimensional affective symptoms and show its enormous potential as a target for a host of mental health problems. Further investigation may shed light on the aetiology of the relationship between different subtypes of PLEs and affective symptoms.