Psychotic-like experiences and poor mental health status among Japanese early teens

Abstract

Epidemiological studies of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) have reported that people who had PLEs during childhood or adolescence have higher incidences of schizophrenia spectrum disorders or other psychiatric disorders later in life than people who have not had PLEs. Previous work has shown that approximately 15% of children in the city of Tsu had PLEs. In this study, we sought to confirm the prevalence of PLEs in early teens living in Nagasaki and to elucidate the associations between PLEs and other psychopathological items. To this end, we used a self-report questionnaire to sample approximately 5,000 stu- dents (aged 12-15 years) in public junior high schools. Similar to the results of previous studies, the prevalence of PLEs was 16.4%. There was a significant association between PLEs and poor mental health status, which was estimated using a 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Moreover, after controlling for confounding factors, we found a significant association between PLEs and a lack of satisfaction with family relationships and several other psychosocial problems. These results suggest that a relatively large proportion of children with PLEs have behavioral, social, or familial problems, which may facilitate future schizophrenic symptoms. ACTA MEDICA NAGASAKIENSIA 56: 35-41, 2011