Sardella A, Geraci A, Lenzo V, Poli LF, Rodolico A, Quattropani MC, Signorelli MS. Reflective functioning and dissociative experiences: A comparison study between adolescents at "high-risk" of psychosis and healthy controls.
Health Psychol Res 2023;
11:88937. [PMID:
37915960 PMCID:
PMC10617667 DOI:
10.52965/001c.88937]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background
Despite the established contribution to psychological well-being in young subjects, the investigation of reflective functioning and dissociative experiences in help-seekers adolescents still appears an unmet need.
Objective
The study aimed to assess reflective functioning and dissociative symptoms in help-seekers adolescents, and compare them to gender-matched healthy controls.
Methods
The Reflecting Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ) was used to investigate mentalizing; the Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale (A-DES) was used to explore dissociative symptoms.
Results
The study involved 102 adolescents (mean age 18.06 ± 1.78 years), split into "help-seekers" (N= 51; mean age 19 ± 1.98 years) and healthy controls (N= 51; mean age 17.12 ± 0.84). "Help-seekers" adolescents showed lower RFQ-certainty scores (mean 3.39 ± 2.47), compared to healthy controls (mean 6.73 ± 5.01). Furthermore, "help-seekers" adolescents reported higher scores on RFQ-uncertainty (mean 7.73 ± 4.38), compared to healthy controls (mean 5.14 ± 4.17), which indicates a greater lack of knowledge about mental states (hypomentalizing). Eventually, "help-seekers" adolescents showed significantly worse dissociative symptoms (A-DES total mean score 3.49 ± 2.04), compared to healthy controls (A-DES total mean score 2.06 ± 1.43).
Conclusion
The importance of an assessment in early adolescence denotes a topic of increasing concern, in order to identify failures in reflective functioning and the onset of dissociative experiences among help-seekers adolescents, toward the implementation of tailored psychological interventions.
Collapse