Psychotic-like experiences are associated with violent behavior in adolescents

Abstract

Objective: The diagnosis of psychotic disorder is associated with a risk of violence. Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) in the general population may share an etiological background with psychotic disorders. The present study has evaluated the association between PLEs and violent behavior in adolescents.

Methods: PLEs and violent behavior were assessed using a self-report questionnaire administered to 18,104 Japanese adolescents. Potential confounding factors were also evaluated.

Results: After controlling for the effects of age, gender, GHQ-12 total score, victimization, and substance use, the existence of PLEs was significantly associated with both interpersonal violence (odds ratio (OR)=1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23 to 1.51) and violence towards objects (OR=1.46, 95%CI: 1.33 to 1.61). The greater the number of such psychotic experiences, the higher the risk of violence. Particular types of PLEs ('spied-upon' and 'voice hearing') are significantly associated with interpersonal violence, while all of the types of PLEs assessed in this study were significantly associated with violence towards objects.

Conclusion: PLEs may be a risk factor for violent behavior in adolescents. Violent acts by individuals with schizophrenia may not be a direct consequence of the disease itself, but may instead share an etiological background with such behavior in the general population.