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Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
Published on: December 2, 2015
Internalized stigma, emotional dysfunction and unusual experiences in young people at risk of psychosis
Melissa Pyle1, Suzanne L K Stewart, Paul French
1Psychosis Research Unit, Greater Manchester West NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Aims:
To investigate the relationship between internalized stigma, depression, social anxiety and unusual experiences in young people considered to be at risk of developing psychosis.
Methods:
A total of 288 participants meeting criteria for an at-risk mental state were recruited as part of a multisite randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioural therapy for people meeting criteria for an at risk mental state (ARMS). The sample was assessed at baseline and 6 months using measures of at risk mental states, internalized stigma, depression and social anxiety.
Results:
The Personal Beliefs about Experiences Questionnaire was validated for use with an ARMS sample. Correlational analyses at baseline indicated significant relationships between internalized stigma and: (i) depression; (ii) social anxiety; (iii) distress associated with unusual psychological experiences; and (iv) suicidal thinking. Regression analysis indicates negative appraisals of unusual experiences contributed significantly to depression scores at 6-month follow up when controlling for baseline depression and unusual psychological experiences.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that internalized stigma may contribute to the development and maintenance of depression in young people at risk of psychosis.
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