Resilience in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis

Abstract

Background It has been suggested that resilience may be a protective factor with respect to mental illness. This may be an important factor for those who are vulnerable to psychiatric illness. Thus, the aims of this paper were to compare levels of resilience between individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis and healthy controls, and to examine associations between resilience and clinical measures, functioning, and trauma of CHR participants. Method Eighty participants, 40 CHR and 40 University of Calgary undergraduate students, completed two resilience questionnaires: the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Child and Youth Resilience Measure. Results A t-test revealed a significant difference between the groups on levels of resilience (t=4.34, p <0.01), demonstrating that CHR participants have lower levels of resilience than healthy controls. In terms of the associations between resilience and measures of mental health of CHR participants, it was found that higher levels of resilience were related to lower negative symptoms, depression, and anxiety. Furthermore, resilient CHR participants showed higher levels of role functioning and generally reported higher positive schemas of self and others, as well as lower stress to reported life events. No associations were found between resilience and attenuated psychotic symptoms, social functioning, IQ, and trauma. Conclusions The results of the current study suggest that resilience may be beneficial to other mental issues present in CHR individuals but this may not be the case for attenuated psychotic symptoms.

Search for protective factors for psychosis – a population‐based sample with special interest in unaffected individuals with parental psychosis

“…There has been a recent interest on tobacco smoking as a potential risk factor for psychosis onset. Gurillo et al . found in their recent meta‐analysis that smoking was associated with earlier onset age.…”

“…There has been a recent interest on tobacco smoking as a potential risk factor for psychosis onset. Gurillo et al 32 found in their recent meta-analysis that smoking was associated with earlier onset age. Also alcohol misuse has been associated with increased risk of schizophrenia among high-risk sample.…”

Perceived stress mediates the relationship between social adaptation and quality of life in individuals at ultra high risk of psychosis

“…In accordance with the model of vulnerability to stress in psychosis (Pruessner, Iyer, Faridi, Joober, & Malla, 2011), psychosocial stress is associated with a risk of developing a psychotic disorder. Stressful life events, low resilience, stigma stress, poor social support or social deprivation play an important role in the transition factors and onset of psychosis (Beards et al, 2013;Marulanda & Addington, 2016;Rüsch et al, 2015). People with psychotic disorders who use negative coping strategies in response to stress report poorer QoL (Cohen, Hassamal, & Begum, 2011;Holubova et al, 2015).…”

Resilience and Cognitive Function in Patients With Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder, and Healthy Controls

“…Choi et al found that resilience level was significantly lower in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder than in healthy controls, and the number of past depressive episodes significantly correlated negatively with resilience ( 2 ). Additionally, individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis also have shown impairment in resilience compared to healthy individuals ( 7 ). Altogether, both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients show deficits in resilience, especially patients who recently received diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder.…”