Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
07:30
Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
Delusions and hallucinations in students compared to the general population
1Section for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg 35032, Germany. lincoln@staff.uni-marburg.de
Psychology and Psychotherapy
|April 23, 2008
Summary
Students report more delusional beliefs and associated distress than the general population. However, these differences in psychotic experiences vanish when age is considered in the comparison.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Mental Health Research
Background:
- Psychotic experiences, such as delusions and hallucinations, can occur in the general population.
- Understanding the prevalence and characteristics of these experiences across different demographics is crucial for mental health research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the frequency and impact of delusional beliefs and hallucinations between a student sample and the general population.
- To investigate the role of age in mediating potential differences in psychotic experiences.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Peters Delusions Inventory (PDI) and the Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale (LSHS).
- Assessed psychotic experiences in a general population sample (N=359) and a student sample (N=78).
- Employed statistical methods to compare PDI and LSHS scores between groups, including age-matched analyses.
Main Results:
- Students reported significantly higher levels of delusional beliefs compared to the general population sample.
- Students also exhibited greater distress and preoccupation related to their beliefs.
- Age-matched comparisons revealed no significant differences in delusional beliefs or hallucination measures between the student and general population groups.
Conclusions:
- Student populations may exhibit higher self-reported delusional ideation and associated distress.
- Age appears to be a significant confounding factor when comparing psychotic experiences between students and the general population.
- Further research should account for age when examining demographic differences in the prevalence of psychotic experiences.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:26Positive Symptoms Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder characterized by a range of symptoms that significantly impact cognition, behavior, and emotional regulation. Among these, the positive symptoms stand out as they involve the addition or exaggeration of normal mental functions, deviating markedly from typical behavior and perception. Hallucinations and delusions are prominent positive symptoms, each profoundly affecting the individual's experience of reality.
Hallucinations
Hallucinations in...
Hallucinations
Hallucinations in...
01:30Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Schizophrenia is a complex mental health disorder that can manifest with various positive symptoms, including thought, movement, and behavior disorders. These symptoms significantly disrupt cognitive and motor functions, leading to profound effects on an individual's ability to engage with the world.
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...
01:17Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, a term introduced by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1911, describes a severe psychological disorder marked by profound disruptions in attention, thought processes, language, emotion, and interpersonal relationships. The core feature of schizophrenia is psychosis — a state characterized by a fundamental detachment from reality. This disconnection manifests through distorted logic, impaired perception, and atypical behavior, severely affecting the lives of those diagnosed.
01:27Hallucinogens and Psychedelics
Hallucinogens are psychoactive substances that profoundly alter perceptual experiences, generating unreal visual and sensory images. Often referred to as psychedelic drugs — a term derived from the Greek words "psyche" (mind) and "delos" (revealing) — these substances include marijuana and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), among others. These drugs vary in intensity and effects.
Marijuana, derived from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)...
Marijuana, derived from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)...
02:01Group Design
The most basic experimental design involves two groups: the experimental group and the control group. The two groups are designed to be the same except for one difference— experimental manipulation. The experimental group gets the experimental manipulation—that is, the treatment or variable being tested—and the control group does not. Since experimental manipulation is the only difference between the experimental and control groups, we can be sure that any differences between the two are due to...
01:29Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...