Associations between psychotic-like symptoms and inattention/hyperactivity symptoms

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Psychotic-like symptoms and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms are increasingly recognized in adolescent populations.
• Understanding the relationship between these symptom clusters is crucial for early identification and intervention.
• Previous research has primarily focused on clinical samples, leaving the general adolescent population understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between psychotic-like symptoms and symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity in a general adolescent population.
• To determine if the link between psychotic-like symptoms and attentional dysfunction observed in clinical samples extends to non-clinical adolescents.
• To differentiate the association of psychotic-like symptoms with inattention versus hyperactivity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the prospective Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986, including a follow-up survey of adolescents at 15-16 years old (N=5,318).
• Administered the Youth Self-Report and PROD-Screen questionnaires to adolescents for psychotic-like and prodromal psychosis symptoms.
• Parents completed the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behaviors questionnaire to assess inattention and hyperactivity in their offspring.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant association was found between negative psychotic-like symptoms and inattention symptoms, particularly the 'dreamy' type characterized by forgetfulness and organizational difficulties.
• This association was consistent across both genders.
• No significant association was observed between psychotic-like symptoms and hyperactivity symptoms in the general adolescent sample.

Conclusions:

• The study confirms an association between psychotic-like symptoms and attentional dysfunction in the general adolescent population, mirroring findings from clinical samples.
• Attentional deficits, rather than hyperactivity, appear to be linked with psychotic-like symptoms in adolescents.
• These findings highlight the importance of screening for attentional problems in adolescents experiencing psychotic-like symptoms, even in non-clinical settings.