J Affect Disord. 2025 Apr 20:S0165-0327(25)00663-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.04.089. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are strongly associated with poor mental health among adolescents. This study aims to investigate distinct longitudinal trajectories of the PLEs and their relationship to suicidal ideation (SI), as well as to evaluate the mediating effect of depressive symptoms on this link.
METHODS: A total of 7529 Chinese adolescents were surveyed on PLEs online during April 21 to May 12, 2021 (Time 1, T1), December 17 to 26, 2021 (Time 2, T2), and May 17 to June 5, 2022 (Time 3, T3). Depressive symptoms and SI were assessed at T1 and T3.
RESULTS: The prevalence of frequent PLEs across the three surveys was 13.5 %, 13.2 %, and 11.0 %, respectively. Five PLEs trajectories were identified: resistance (74.4 % of the sample), recovery (9.2 %), delayed-dysfunction (6.6 %), relapsing/remitting (7.0 %), and chronic-dysfunction (2.8 %). Adolescents in recovery, delayed-dysfunction, relapsing/remitting, and chronic-dysfunction trajectories compared with those in the resistant group were all more likely to experience SI at T3 after adjusting for a wide range of covariates. Depressive symptoms partially mediated the effects of PLEs trajectories (relative to the resistance trajectory) on SI (95 % CIs: 0.07-0.13, 0.37-0.48, and 0.28-0.41 for relapsing/remitting, delayed-dysfunction, and chronic-dysfunction trajectories, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: PLEs are common among adolescents and have heterogeneity of change patterns. The association between PLEs trajectories and SI is partially mediated by depressive symptoms. Timely assessment and targeted interventions for specific PLEs are necessary to reduce the incidence of mental disorders.
PMID:40262665 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2025.04.089
