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Increased stress reactivity: a mechanism specifically associated with the positive symptoms of psychotic disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2012

T. Lataster ,
L. Valmaggia ,
M. Lardinois ,
J. van Os  and
I. Myin-Germeys
T. Lataster*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Centre, The Netherlands
L. Valmaggia
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK
M. Lardinois
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Centre, The Netherlands
J. van Os
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Centre, The Netherlands Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK
I. Myin-Germeys
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Centre, The Netherlands School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, UK
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr T. Lataster, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, PO Box 616 (VIJV), 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. (Email: t.lataster@maastrichtuniversity.nl)
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Abstract

Background

An increased reactivity to stress in the context of daily life is suggested to be an independent risk factor underlying the positive symptoms of psychotic disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate whether positive symptoms moderate the association between everyday stressful events and negative affect (NA), known as stress reactivity. This hypothesis was put to the test in patients with a diagnosis of psychotic disorder.

Method

The Comprehensive Assessment of Symptoms and History (CASH) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were used to assess positive and negative symptoms. The experience sampling method (ESM), a structured diary technique, was used to measure stress reactivity and psychotic symptoms in daily life.

Results

Higher levels of positive symptoms (CASH: B = 0.14, p = 0.005; PANSS: B = 0.05, p = 0.000; ESM: B = 0.03, p = 0.000) and lower levels of negative symptoms (PANSS: B = − 0.05, p = 0.001) significantly moderate the association between unpleasant events and NA. No significant moderating effect was found for CASH negative symptoms. Moreover, the moderating effect of lifetime and current symptoms on the stress–NA association was significantly larger for those patients with predominantly positive symptoms (CASH: B = 0.09, p = 0.000; PANSS: B = 0.08, p = 0.000; ESM: B = 0.13, p = 0.000).

Conclusions

Patients with a ‘psychotic syndrome’ with high levels of positive symptoms and low levels of negative symptoms show increased reactivity to stress in daily life, indicating that stress reactivity is a possible risk factor underlying this syndrome.

Keywords

Daily life stressmomentary assessmentnegative affectschizophreniasymptom dimensions
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 43 , Issue 7 , July 2013 , pp. 1389 - 1400
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

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