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Modelling the emergence of hallucinations: early acquired vulnerabilities, proximal life stressors and maladaptive psychological processes

Abstract

Background  

The study aimed to expand upon existing findings on the vulnerability to psychosis by examining synergistic models of hallucination
emergence. Hypothesised vulnerability factors were separated into three stages of vulnerability; early acquired and enduring
vulnerabilities (heredity, childhood trauma, early cannabis use), proximal life stressors (life hassles) and psychological
appraisals/coping (metacognitions/experiential avoidance).

Methods  

Participants were recruited to a non-clinical sample (N = 133) and a clinical sample of psychosis patients (N = 100).

Results  

Path analyses in the non-clinical sample indicated that experiences of childhood emotional trauma, in combination with subsequent
experiences of life hassles, best predicted vulnerability to both hallucinations in general and auditory hallucinations specifically.
This pathway was partially mediated by negative metacognitions. The models were then replicated in the clinical sample, with
two notable differences: (1) childhood sexual trauma replaced childhood emotional trauma as the best enduring predictor in
the clinical model. (2) Experiential avoidance replaced metacognitions as the best cognitive predictor of hallucinations.

Conclusions  

The study’s findings highlighted how vulnerability to hallucinations can occur developmentally across time, with early acquired
vulnerability factors, combining additively with more proximal day-to-day factors and cognitive style, to propel a person
further towards the formation of hallucinations.

  • Content Type Journal Article
  • Category Original Paper
  • Pages 1-14
  • DOI 10.1007/s00127-011-0446-9
  • Authors
    • Eliot Goldstone, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086 Australia
    • John Farhall, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086 Australia
    • Ben Ong, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086 Australia
    • Journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
    • Online ISSN 1433-9285
    • Print ISSN 0933-7954
Posted in: Journal Article Abstracts on 11/04/2011 | Link to this post on IFP |
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