Citation

Crush E, Arseneault L, Fisher HL. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. 2018; 53(12): 1413-1417.

Affiliation

King's College London, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK. helen.2.fisher@kcl.ac.uk.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00127-018-1599-6

PMID

30255382

Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate whether social support is protective for psychotic experiences similarly among poly-victimised adolescent girls and boys.

METHODS: We utilised data from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally-representative sample of 2232 UK-born twins. Participants were privately interviewed at age 18 about victimisation, psychotic experiences, and social support during adolescence.

RESULTS: Perceived social support (overall and from friends) was found to be protective against psychotic experiences amongst poly-victimised adolescent girls, but not boys. Though boys were similarly protected by family support.

CONCLUSIONS: Social support-focused interventions targeting psychotic phenomena amongst poly-victimised adolescents may be more effective for girls.

Language: en

Keywords

Psychosis; Psychotic-like experiences; Resilience; Sex differences; Victimization