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    Externalizing the threat from within: A new direction for researching associations between suicide and psychotic experiences


    Murphy, Jamie and Shevlin, Mark and Arseneault, Louise and Bentall, Richard and Caspi, Avshalom and Danese, Andrea and Hyland, Philip and Moffitt, Terrie E. and Fisher, Helen L. (2022) Externalizing the threat from within: A new direction for researching associations between suicide and psychotic experiences. Development and Psychopathology, 34 (3). pp. 1034-1044. ISSN 0954-5794

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    Abstract

    A recent suicidal drive hypothesis posits that psychotic experiences (PEs) may serve to externalize internally generated and self-directed threat (i.e., self-injurious/suicidal behavior [SIB]) in order to optimize survival; however, it must first be demonstrated that such internal threat can both precede and inform PEs. The current study conducted the first known bidirectional analysis of SIB and PEs to test whether SIB could be considered as a plausible antecedent for PEs. Prospective data were utilized from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative birth cohort of 2232 twins, that captured SIB (any self-harm or suicidal attempt) and PEs at ages 12 and 18 years. Cross-lagged panel models demonstrated that the association between SIB at age 12 and PEs at age 18 was as strong as the association between PEs at age 12 and SIB at age 18. Indeed, the best representation of the data was a model where these paths were constrained to be equal (OR = 2.48, 95% CI = 1.63–3.79). Clinical interview case notes for those who reported both SIB and PEs at age 18, revealed that PEs were explicitly characterized by SIB/threat/death-related content for 39% of cases. These findings justify further investigation of the suicidal drive hypothesis.

    Item Type: Article
    Additional Information: Cite as: Murphy, J., Shevlin, M., Arseneault, L., Bentall, R., Caspi, A., Danese, A., Hyland, P., Moffitt, T. E., & Fisher, H. L. (2022). Externalizing the threat from within: A new direction for researching associations between suicide and psychotic experiences. Development and Psychopathology, 34(3), 1034-1044. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579420001728
    Keywords: birth-cohort; cross-lagged panel analysis; psychosis; self-harm; self-injurious behavior;
    Academic Unit: Assisting Living & Learning,ALL institute
    Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology
    Item ID: 17103
    Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579420001728
    Depositing User: Philip Hyland
    Date Deposited: 13 Apr 2023 10:38
    Journal or Publication Title: Development and Psychopathology
    Publisher: Cambridge University Press
    Refereed: Yes
    URI:
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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