Incidence of stressful life events and influence of sociodemographic and clinical variables on the onset of first-episode psychosis

• Published in: Psychiatry research 2016-11, Vol.245, p.108-115
• Main Authors: Butjosa, Anna, Gómez-Benito, Juana, Huerta-Ramos, Elena, Del cacho, Núria, Barajas, Ana, Baños, Iris, Usall, Judith, Dolz, Montserrat, Sánchez, Bernardo, Carlson, Janina, Maria Haro, Josep, Ochoa, Susana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age at onset; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Family; Family history; Female; First-episode psychosis; Gender; Humans; Incidence; Life Change Events; Life events; Male; Models, Psychological; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Psychotic Disorders - diagnosis; Psychotic Disorders - psychology; Psychotic symptoms; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.08.030

Abstract This study presents a quantitative analysis of the incidence of stressful life events (SLEs) and the variables gender, age at onset, family history and psychotic symptoms in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP). A descriptive, cross-sectional methodology was used to interview 68 patients with FEP between 13 and 47 years of age. The Psychiatric Epidemiology Research Interview Life Events Scale collected one-year period prior to onset of FEP – used to analyse the subcategories academic, work, love and marriage, children, residence, legal affairs, finances and social activities -, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, and Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia scale were used to assess the relevance of certain SLEs during adolescence. Age at onset showed a significant negative correlation with the categories academic and social activities . By contrast, it showed a positive correlation with work and children . A significant relationship was found between paternal family history and social activities and between maternal family history and academic and love and marriage . Finally, an inverse relationship was observed between negative symptoms and the categories children and finance . Depressive symptoms were significantly correlated with the category academic . Our results show the importance of SLEs during adolescence and suggest that there is a clear need to develop preventive actions that promote effective strategies for dealing with the accumulation of psychosocial stress.