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Comparison of Experiences of Stress and Coping Between Young People at Risk of Psychosis and a Non-Clinical Cohort

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2011

Lisa Jane Phillips ,
Jane Edwards ,
Nancy McMurray  and
Shona Francey
Lisa Jane Phillips*
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne, Australia
Jane Edwards
Affiliation:
Orygen Youth Health, Parkville, Australia
Nancy McMurray
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne, Australia
Shona Francey
Affiliation:
Orygen Youth Health, Parkville, Australia
*
Reprint requests to Lisa Phillips, University of Melbourne, Psychological Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background: Although the experience of stress and associated coping responses are thought to play a role in the onset of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, there is little empirical evidence to support such a relationship. The relatively recent development of validated and reliable criteria for identifying young people at “ultra” high-risk (UHR) of psychosis has enabled the process of illness onset to be studied more closely than was previously possible. Method: This longitudinal study compared the experiences of stress and coping between a UHR cohort (N = 143) and a healthy comparison group (HC group, N = 32). Results: The UHR group experienced significantly fewer life events over a 12-month period than the HC group, but there was no difference in the experience of minor events or “hassles”. However, the UHR group reported feeling significantly more distressed by events, felt they coped more poorly and utilized different coping strategies. Conclusions: The appraisals made about stressors differentiated the groups and was associated with differences in coping and distress levels. This suggests that treatment strategies focusing on stress management and enhancing coping skills might be important components of preventive interventions.

Keywords

Psychosisstresscopingappraisalsyoung people
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , January 2012 , pp. 69 - 88
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2011

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