| Research has shown that stress is associated with relapse in patients with schizophrenia. However, prior research has not been conclusive about the role prolonged stress has in the prodromal stage and the contribution prolonged stress has to the onset of psychosis. The purpose of this study was to determine if prolonged or emerging self-perceived stress or type of psychosocial stressor, alone or in interaction with genetic high risk, could predict worsening prodromal symptomatology or transition to a psychotic illness.;Logistic regression analyses indicate that self-perceived chronic stress, especially stress related to family and interpersonal interactions, is predictive of worsening prodromal symptomatology. It was hypothesized that genetic risk as an interaction term would strengthen the predictive power of duration and type of stressor; however, this was not the case because of study design limitations. Participants who were at not at genetic risk for a schizophrenia spectrum disorder were older by an average of 17.9 months at follow-up and were closer to the median age of onset for a schizophrenia spectrum disorder.;Although the current study was limited in scope and design, some significant findings were obtained. Self-perceived chronic stress and stress related to family and interpersonal interactions emerged as predictive factors of worsening prodromal symptomatology. Study findings are meaningful for schizophrenia prevention and early intervention, although more research is needed to validate and expand on these findings.;The current study uses a portion of data collected for the Palau Early Psychosis Study (PEPS) in the Republic of Palau from 2000 to 2006. The sample consisted of 91 Palauan adolescents who endorsed symptoms associated with the psychosis prodrome and who had completed a diagnostic interview to assess prodromal symptomatology at entry to PEPS and at a reassessment follow-up. Of the 91 participants, 55 (60.4%) were at an elevated genetic risk for a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Data on self-perceived stressors were collected and analyzed into type of stressor (family/interpersonal, school, responsibilities, and intrapersonal) as well as by the duration of each stressor (stressors which had emerged after the original assessment and preexisting stressors still present at follow-up). |
