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Childhood social isolation and psychotic experiences in young adulthood: a community based study

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry volume 29, pages 1003–1010 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Non-clinical psychotic experiences (PEs) occur at over twice the rate of psychotic disorders along a continuum in the general population and increase risk for progression to diagnoseable disorders. Social isolation is a risk factor for psychotic disorders, although it is unclear if childhood social isolation increases risk for experience of non-clinical PEs later in life. Data come from the Gaz et Electricité (GAZEL) Youth Study (1991–1999) and the Trajectoires Épidémiologiques en Population (TEMPO) Study (2009–2011), a community-based prospective cohort study. Of 1,227 participants whose parents completed questionnaires (1999, participants aged 7–10 years) and who were followed-up (2011, participants aged 25–37 years), 333 had childhood social isolation and young adult PE data. Lifetime prevalence of PEs was 21%. Childhood social isolation was not associated with 0–1 PE in young adulthood (p = 0.74). However, childhood social isolation predicted the experience of ≥ 2 PEs in young adulthood, controlling for gender, age, and general health status (OR = 11.5, 95% CI = 2.5, 52.0, p = 0.002). Childhood social isolation predicts the risk of experiencing two or more lifetime PEs, which may increase the risk for subsequent progression to a diagnoseable psychotic disorder.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the Gazel study team for help in implementing the TEMPO cohort.

Funding

This research was supported by the French Ministry of Health-IReSP (TGIR Cohortes), the French Inter-departmental Mission for the fight against drugs and drug addiction (MILDT), The French Institute of Cancer (INCa), the French Foundation for Research on Psychiatry and Mental Health (FRPSM). Maria Melchior is the recipient of a Young Researcher Award from the French National Research Agency (ANR). The funders had no further role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Julia C. Bennett, Pamela J. Surkan & Lawrence H. Moulton

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR, USA

    Eric Fombonne

  3. INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, (IPLESP, Department of Social Epidemiology), 75012, Paris, France

    Maria Melchior

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  1. Julia C. Bennett
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Correspondence to Julia C. Bennett.

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Ethical approval

The TEMPO study received approval from the French National Committee for Data Protection (CNIL: Commission Nationale Informatique et Liberté; CCTIRS: Comité Consultatif pour le Traitement des Informations pour la Recherche en Santé), which guarantees ethical data collection and use in France.

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Bennett, J.C., Surkan, P.J., Moulton, L.H. et al. Childhood social isolation and psychotic experiences in young adulthood: a community based study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 29, 1003–1010 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-019-01417-2

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Keywords

  • Psychosis
  • Epidemiology
  • Psychotic experiences
  • Risk
  • Psychotic disorders