Self-Reported Psychosis Spectrum Symptoms Among Sexual and Gender Diverse Emerging Adults Screened for a Suicide...

Psychosis spectrum symptoms, including a range of unusual thoughts and perceptual abnormalities, are markers of increased vulnerability to psychotic disorders. Sexual and gender diverse (SGD) populations experience higher rates of psychotic disorders than the general population, raising the possibility that emerging adult SGD individuals may also report elevated psychosis spectrum experiences. We hypothesized that SGD emerging adults would report higher rates of psychosis spectrum symptoms than the general population. In line with intersectional frameworks, we further hypothesized that rates would be higher among individuals with multiple marginalized identities. We screened SGD emerging adults (ages 18-24; N = 376) for a clinical trial of a mobile health intervention to decrease suicide risk. A brief eligibility screening questionnaire assessed racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender identities. The Diagnostic Interview for Anxiety, Mood, and OCD and Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders (DIAMOND) psychosis screener questions were used to assess self-reported unusual thoughts and perceptual abnormalities. Psychosis spectrum symptoms were reported by 40% of the screened sample versus 23% in the general population. The probability of endorsing symptoms (OR = 1.528, 95% CI = 1.16-1.99, p = 0.002) increased with each additional minority status identification (i.e., race, ethnicity, sexual identity, gender identity). Future research should explore unique factors contributing to the heightened rates of self-reported psychosis spectrum symptoms among these minority populations and attempt to test the replicability of these findings.