Do depression and anxiety mediate the relationship between meta-cognitive beliefs and psychological dimensions of auditory hallucinations and delusions in schizophrenia?

Predicting hallucination proneness based on mindfulness in university students: the mediating role of mental distress

As a risk factor of hallucination proneness, the level of mindfulness has not yet been investigated in non-clinical participants. Other potential mediators, such as mental distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) which contribute to hallucination proneness also need to be assessed. This study investigated the mediating effect of mental distress in predicting hallucination proneness based on mindfulness. A number of 168 Iranian university students completed three questionnaires: (1) the five-facet mindfulness questionnaire, (2) the depression, anxiety and stress scale; and (3) the revised hallucination scale. The results showed that there was a significant association between levels of mindfulness and hallucination proneness. Mental distress has a significant effect on four facets of mindfulness questionnaire and an insignificant effect on one facet (awareness) in predicting hallucination. These effects were both direct and indirect. The indirect effect was developed by the mediating role of mental distress.

Cognitive changes in alcohol-induced psychotic disorder

AIMS

This study aimed to explore the neuro-cognitive deficits of alcohol-induced psychotic disorder as compared to the cognitive deficits of uncomplicated alcohol dependence.

METHODS

Participants were recruited from the acute psychiatric admission wards of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Stellenbosch and Stikland and Tygerberg Academic Hospitals in the Western-Cape, South Africa. Participants who met DSM IV TR criteria (American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC, 2000) for Alcohol Dependence and for alcohol-induced psychotic disorder, respectively, were included. Participants who met criteria for another current DSM IV TR Axis I disorder were excluded. A structured interview was done prior to neuropsychological assessment to ascertain current mental state and to obtain relevant demographic detail and history. Neuropsychological assessments were performed and supervised by clinical psychologists at either Tygerberg or Stikland Hospital.

RESULTS

The groups were matched demographically with similar period of abstinence prior to assessment. The alcohol-induced psychotic disorder group experienced first psychotic symptoms at age 35. The results reflected statistically significant differences on tasks measuring immediate memory; recall upon delay; exaggeration of memory difficulty and abstract thinking.

CONCLUSION

This study concurs with earlier literature that some cognitive deficits are greater in alcohol-induced psychotic disorder compared to uncomplicated alcohol dependence.

Psychotic-Like Experiences and Psychological Distress: The Role of Resilience

BACKGROUND

The occurrence of psychotic-like experiences and schizotypal features in the general nonclinical population may imply a connection with psychosis-related liability.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to examine the role of resilience in the relationship of hallucination and delusion-like experiences and schizotypal features to psychological distress in a nonclinical sample.

DESIGN

The study sample (n = 432 university students) was selected through a stratified cluster sampling procedure, and measures of hallucination proneness, delusion proneness, schizotypal personality, and psychological distress were administered.

RESULTS

While all three indices of psychotic-like experiences correlated with one another, only hallucination proneness and schizotypal personality features correlated with psychological distress and only schizotypal traits correlated with resilience. Schizotypy was found to have an indirect effect on distress through resilience.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings imply the possibility of two types of schizotypy, with high or low resilience. It appears that schizotypes with low resilience may be susceptible to adversity and mental disorders, while high resilience may be protective.